Where does “backstabber” come from?
backstabber (English) comes from English back, from French bac, from French baccalauréat, from Medieval Latin baccalaureatus, from Latin baccalaureus, from Latin laurea, from Latin laurus, from English -aceous — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.
backstabber (English): A traitor or hypocrite, such as a co-worker or...
Definitions
- A traitor or hypocrite, such as a co-worker or...
Ancestry of “backstabber”, step by step
backstabber traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English back
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | back | Near the rear; Not current; Far from the main... |
| 2 | French | bac | ferry; vat; high school exit exam in France; A... |
| 3 | French | baccalauréat | baccalaureat; bachelor's degree |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | baccalaureatus | bachelor's degree |
| 5 | Latin | baccalaureus | bachelor |
| 6 | Latin | laurea | laurel, bay tree; crown, wreath or branch of... |
| 7 | Latin | laurus | laurel tree; laurels; a crown of laurel |
| 8 | English | -aceous | Of, relating to, resembling or containing the... |
| 9 | Latin | -āceus | aceous; resembling, having the nature of, forming, belonging to |
| 10 | Latin | -āx | ish, -y |
| 11 | Latin | -ium | Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes... |
| 12 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 13 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |
via English stabber
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stabber | One who, or that which, stabs; A small... |
| 2 | English | stab | An act of stabbing or thrusting with an object; A... |
| 3 | English | stabilizer | Any person or thing that brings stability; Any... |
| 4 | English | stabilize | To make stable; To become stable |
| 5 | English | -ize | Used to form verbs from nouns or adjectives |
| 6 | Middle English | -isen | -ise, -ize |
| 7 | Middle French | -iser | -ize |
| 8 | Latin | -izō | Used to form similative verbs from nouns and adjectives |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | -ίζω | Used to form verbs from nouns, adjectives and... |
| 10 | Proto-Hellenic | -íďďō | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -idyéti | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 14 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |