Where does “nosy” come from?

Nosy comes from Middle English, borrowed from Middle French -ie (a suffix forming adjectives), derived from Latin nodus meaning "knot" with the Latin adjective-forming suffix -ivus and nominal suffix -ia, ultimately traced to Proto-Indo-European -kos.

nosy (English): Prying, inquisitive or curious in other’s...

Definitions

  1. Prying, inquisitive or curious in other’s...

Ancestry of “nosy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnoseA protuberance on the face housing the nostrils,...
2Middle Englishnōsenose
3Old FrenchnousAlternative form of nos
4Latinnōswe, us
5Proto-Italicnōswe
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwéywe
7Proto-Indo-Europeanéǵh₂I

Words derived from “nosy

Every word from Proto-Indo-European éǵh₂