Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nicknamer” come from?

nicknamer (English) comes from English nickname, from Middle English nekename, from Middle English ekename, from Middle English eke, from Old English ēaca, from Proto-Germanic aukô, from Proto-Germanic aukaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ewg-.

nicknamer (English): One who bestows a nickname

Definitions

  1. One who bestows a nickname

Ancestry of “nicknamer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnicknameA familiar, invented name for a person or thing...
2Middle Englishnekename—
3Middle EnglishekenameA nickname
4Middle Englishekealso, additional
5Old Englishēacaan addition, increase, eeking; addition,...
6Proto-Germanicaukôincrease, addition
7Proto-Germanicaukanąto increase, to grow
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ewg-to increase, to enlarge
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂weg-to increase, to enlarge
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ug-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ug- →