Where does “nitpick” come from?
nitpick (English) comes from English pick, from Middle English piken, from Middle English pyke, from Old English pīc, from Proto-Germanic *pīk, from Latin pix, from Proto-Indo-European pik-, from Proto-Indo-European pi- — sap, juice.
nitpick (English): To correct minutiae or find fault in unimportant...
Definitions
- To correct minutiae or find fault in unimportant...
Ancestry of “nitpick”, step by step
nitpick traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English pick
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pick | A tool used for digging; a pickaxe; A tool for... |
| 2 | Middle English | piken | To pick at; to use a edged tool on; To pierce or... |
| 3 | Middle English | pyke | A sharp round point or projection; A point or end... |
| 4 | Old English | pīc | pointed object, pick axe |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *pīk | — |
| 6 | Latin | pix | pitch, tar |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pik- | to be angry; pitch; resin |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pi- | sap, juice |