Where does “ditty” come from?

Ditty comes from Middle English ditee, from Old French ditie, meaning a composition or something dictated.

ditty (English): A short verse or tune; A saying or utterance,...

Definitions

  1. A short verse or tune; A saying or utterance,...

Ancestry of “ditty”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdite—
2Old Frenchditie—
3Old Frenchditier—
4Latindictāre—

Words derived from “ditty”

Every word from Latin dictāre →Every word from Old French ditier →Every word from Old French ditie →