Where does “henpecker” come from?

henpecker (English) comes from English henpeck, from English peck, from Middle English pecken, from Middle English piken, from Middle English pyke, from Old English pīc, from Proto-Germanic *pīk, from Latin pix — sap, juice.

henpecker (English): One who henpecks or nags

Definitions

  1. One who henpecks or nags

Ancestry of “henpecker”, step by step

henpecker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English henpeck

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhenpeckTo nag persistently; A man who is meekly...
2EnglishpeckTo strike or pierce with the beak or bill; To...
3Middle EnglishpeckenAlternative form of piken
4Middle EnglishpikenTo pick at; to use a edged tool on; To pierce or...
5Middle EnglishpykeA sharp round point or projection; A point or end...
6Old Englishpīcpointed object, pick axe
7Proto-Germanic*pīk
8Latinpixpitch, tar
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpik-to be angry; pitch; resin
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpi-sap, juice

via English ER

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishERThe statistic "Earned Run"; Initialism of...
2Turkisherearly; brave; man, male
3Ottoman Turkishایرsaddle, a seat for a rider placed on the back of a horse or other animal
4Old Anatolian Turkishایرearly, at a time in advance of the usual or expected event
5Proto-Turkicēdersaddle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pi-Every word from Proto-Indo-European pik-Every word from Latin pix