Where does “knotty” come from?

Knotty comes from Middle English knotty formed with the Middle English suffix -y, derived from Middle French -ie, which traces to Latin -ium and Proto-Indo-European -kos and -yós.

knotty (English): Full of knots; Complicated or tricky; complex,...

Definitions

  1. Full of knots; Complicated or tricky; complex,...

Ancestry of “knotty”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishknottiAlternative form of knotty
2Middle Englishknotteknot, tie; binding, method of attachment, link;...
3Old Englishcnottaknot
4Proto-Germanicknuttôa knot
5Proto-Indo-Europeangnod-to bind

Words derived from “knotty”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gnod- →Every word from Proto-Germanic knuttô →Every word from Old English cnotta →
knotty — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer