Where does “fisticuff” come from?
fisticuff (English) comes from English fist, from Middle English fist, from Old English fȳst, from Proto-West Germanic fūsti, from Proto-Germanic funstiz, from Proto-Indo-European pnsti-, from Proto-Indo-European pnksti-, from Proto-Indo-European pénkʷe — five.
fisticuff (English): A fistfight; A cuff or blow administered with the...
Definitions
- A fistfight; A cuff or blow administered with the...
Ancestry of “fisticuff”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | fist | A hand with the fingers clenched or curled... |
| 2 | Middle English | fist | — |
| 3 | Old English | fȳst | fist |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fūsti | fist |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | funstiz | fist |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pnsti- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pnksti- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pénkʷe | five |
Words derived from “fisticuff”