Where does “footlicker” come from?

footlicker (English) comes from English foot, from Middle English fot, from Old English fōt, from Proto-West Germanic fōt, from Proto-Germanic fōts, from Proto-Indo-European pṓds, from Proto-Indo-European póds, from Proto-Indo-European ped- — to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall.

footlicker (English): A sycophant; a fawner; a toady

Definitions

  1. A sycophant; a fawner; a toady

Ancestry of “footlicker”, step by step

footlicker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English foot

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfootA biological structure found in many animals that...
2Middle Englishfotfoot; The bottom, lower part or foundation of...
3Old Englishfōtfoot
4Proto-West Germanicfōtfoot
5Proto-Germanicfōtsfoot
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpṓdsfoot
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpódsfoot
8Proto-Indo-Europeanped-to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall

via English licker

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlickerSomeone or something that licks; Eye dialect...
2Middle Englishlikkere
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ped-
footlicker — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer