Where does “fidgeting” come from?
Fidgeting comes from English fidget, tracing back through Middle English fiken and Old English fician to Old Norse fíka, Latin ficus, and ultimately Phoenician origins.
fidgeting (English): present participle of fidget; A fidgety motion
Definitions
- present participle of fidget; A fidgety motion
Ancestry of “fidgeting”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | fidget | To wiggle or twitch; to move around nervously or... |
| 2 | English | fidge | To fidget; jostle or shake; A shake; fiddle or... |
| 3 | Middle English | fiken | to feign, dissemble, flatter; to jitter; move... |
| 4 | Old Norse | fíkjast | Be eager or restless |
| 5 | Old Norse | fíka | to climb, move |
| 6 | Latin | ficus | fig tree; fig; hemorrhoids |
| 7 | Phoenician | ?? | Ripe fig |
Words derived from “fidgeting”