Where does “nick” come from?
Nick derives from English nickname, which combines English nix with the diminutive suffix English -y, ultimately from Latin -ivus and Latin -ia through Middle English eke and Middle French -ie.
nick (English): A small cut in a surface; Senses connoting...
Definitions
- A small cut in a surface; Senses connoting...
Ancestry of “nick”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nik | notch, tally; nock of an arrow |
| 2 | Old French | niche | — |
| 3 | Old French | nichier | to nest |
| 4 | Latin | nīdus | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | nizdos | nest |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | nisdós | nest |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ni | down |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |
Words derived from “nick”