Where does “nickname” come from?
Nickname comes from Middle English nekename, reanalyzed from Middle English ekename, from Middle English eke meaning "also" plus Old English nama meaning "name," from Proto-Germanic auk, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂ewg-.
nickname (English): A familiar, invented name for a person or thing...
Definitions
- A familiar, invented name for a person or thing...
Ancestry of “nickname”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | nekename | — |
| 2 | Middle English | ekename | A nickname |
| 3 | Middle English | eke | also, additional |
| 4 | Old English | ēaca | an addition, increase, eeking; addition,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | aukô | increase, addition |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | aukaną | to increase, to grow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ewg- | to increase, to enlarge |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂weg- | to increase, to enlarge |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ug- | — |