Where does “piquancy” come from?
Piquancy derives from Middle French piquant, from Latin piquant (pricking), ultimately from Frankish pikkōn and Proto-Indo-European (s)peyk-, meaning to prick or pierce.
piquancy (English): The degree to which something is piquant,...
Definitions
- The degree to which something is piquant,...
Ancestry of “piquancy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | piquant | Causing hurt feelings; scathing, severe;... |
| 2 | Middle French | piquant | present participle of piquer; gerund of piquer;... |
| 3 | Middle French | piquer | — |
| 4 | Old French | piquer | to pierce with the tip of a sword |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | piccare | to puncture; to sting, strike; to pierce |
| 6 | Frankish | pikkōn | to peck, strike |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | pikōną | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bew- | "low-pitch humming noise" |