Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hick” come from?

Hick derives from the English given name Richard, itself from Middle English Rycharde, Old French Richard, and Latin Ricohardus, with the original sense development unknown.

hick (English): An awkward, naive, clumsy and/or rude country...

Definitions

  1. An awkward, naive, clumsy and/or rude country...

Ancestry of “hick”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishHickpet form of Richard
2EnglishRichard—
3Middle EnglishRycharde—
4Old FrenchRichard—
5Medieval LatinRichardus—
6FrankishRīkahard—
7Proto-GermanicRīkaharduzA male given name
8Proto-Germanicrīksking, ruler
9Proto-Celticrīxsking
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃rḗǵsking, ruler
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵ-to straighten, to right oneself; right; just

Words derived from “hick”

  • hiccup
  • hickock
  • hiccupy
  • hickish
  • hiccuplike
  • hicklike
  • hixploitation
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- →