Where does “pigsty” come from?
Pigsty combines English pig with Middle English sty, which derives from Middle English -en and Old English iċ, tracing to Proto-Indo-European steygʰ-, éǵh₂, and en.
pigsty (English): An enclosure where pigs are kept; A dirty or very...
Definitions
- An enclosure where pigs are kept; A dirty or very...
Ancestry of “pigsty”, step by step
pigsty traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sty
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sty | A pen or enclosure for swine; A messy, dirty or... |
| 2 | Middle English | styanye | An inflamed swelling on the edge of the eyelid |
| 3 | Old English | stīġend | sailor |
| 4 | Old English | stīgan | to go |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | stīgan | to climb, to ascend |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | stīganą | to go up; climb, ascend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | stéygʰeti | to be walking; to be climbing |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | steygʰ- | to go; to climb |