Where does “overnicety” come from?
overnicety (English) comes from English nicety, from Middle English nicetee, from Old French niceté, from Old French nice, from Latin nescius, from Latin nesciō, from Latin sciō, from Proto-Indo-European sḱēy- — to cut, part, spearate, divide; to cut, part,...
overnicety (English): Excessive nicety
Definitions
- Excessive nicety
Ancestry of “overnicety”, step by step
overnicety traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English nicety
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nicety | A small detail or distinction; Subtlety or... |
| 2 | Middle English | nicetee | — |
| 3 | Old French | niceté | simpleness, foolishness |
| 4 | Old French | nice | simple, foolish |
| 5 | Latin | nescius | unaware, ignorant; not knowing how, unable |
| 6 | Latin | nesciō | to not know, to be ignorant, to not understand |
| 7 | Latin | sciō | to be able to, to know, understand, to have practical knowledge |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱēy- | to shine; to shimmer; shadow; luster, gloss,... |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | skaidą | separation, distinction |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | skÁit- | to cut, part, spearate, divide; to cut, part,... |
via English over
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | over | Discontinued; ended or concluded; Thoroughly;... |
| 2 | Middle English | over | riverbank, seashore, brink |
| 3 | Old English | ōfer | riverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | obar | over, above |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | uber | over; over, above |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | upér | above; over |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |