Where does “Knickerbocker” come from?
Knickerbocker derives from Dutch Knickerbocker, a surname of Dutch settlers in New York, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰog- meaning to break or bend.
Knickerbocker (English): A New Yorker, particularly a scion of its old...
Definitions
- A New Yorker, particularly a scion of its old...
Ancestry of “Knickerbocker”, step by step
Knickerbocker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Bäcker
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Bäcker | baker; agent noun of backen |
| 2 | Middle High German | becker | — |
| 3 | Old High German | beckeri | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bakārijaz | One who creates baked goods; baker |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ārijaz | -er |
| 6 | Latin | -ārius | er |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *-āzios | Forms relational adjectives to nouns (and rarely numerals) |