Where does “dearie” come from?
Dearie derives from English dear plus the English diminutive suffix -y, which comes from Middle English -y, from Middle French -ie, from Latin -ia, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -kos.
dearie (English): A person who is dear; sweetie
Definitions
- A person who is dear; sweetie
Ancestry of “dearie”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ie | Forming diminutive or affectionate forms of nouns... |
| 2 | English | -y | Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives... |
| 3 | Middle English | -y | Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by... |
| 4 | Old English | -iġ | -y, -ic |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -g | Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -gaz | -y |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |