Where does “chick lit” come from?

chick lit (English) comes from English lit, from Middle English lit, from Old English lȳt, from Proto-Germanic lūtilaz, from Proto-Germanic burgz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ-.

chick lit (English): Literature perceived to appeal to, or be marketed at, young women, typically concerning romantic dilemmas

Definitions

  1. Literature perceived to appeal to, or be marketed at, young women, typically concerning romantic dilemmas

Ancestry of “chick lit”, step by step

chick lit traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English lit

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishlitsimple past tense and past participle of light;...
2Middle EnglishlitAlternative form of light
3Old Englishlȳtlittle, few
4Proto-Germaniclūtilazbent; tending to stoop; crouching; little
5Proto-Germanicburgzfortification, stronghold; city
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰr̥ǵʰ-—

via English chick

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishchickA young bird; A young chicken; A young child
2Middle Englishchicke—
3Middle Englishchikenchicken", also "chick
4Old Englishċicenchicken

Words derived from “chick lit”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ- →