Where does “cranky” come from?
Cranky derives from English crank plus the Middle English suffix -y, which came from Middle French -ie, ultimately tracing through Latin -ia and -ivus formations to Proto-Indo-European -kos.
cranky (English): Weak, unwell; Not in good working condition;...
Definitions
- Weak, unwell; Not in good working condition;...
Ancestry of “cranky”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -y | Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives... |
| 2 | Middle English | -y | Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by... |
| 3 | Old English | -iġ | -y, -ic |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | -g | Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -gaz | -y |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |
Words derived from “cranky”