Where does “prickwad” come from?

prickwad (English) comes from English prick, from Middle English prikken, from Old English prician, from Old English -ian, from Old English -ōjan, from Proto-West Germanic -ōn, from Proto-Germanic -ōną, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti — he, she.

prickwad (English): A rude, obnoxious, or annoying person

Definitions

  1. A rude, obnoxious, or annoying person

Ancestry of “prickwad”, step by step

prickwad traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English prick

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishprickA small hole or perforation, caused by piercing;...
2Middle Englishprikkento prick, pierce
3Old Englishpricianto prick
4Old English-ianForms verbs from nouns and adjectives
5Old English-ōjan
6Proto-West Germanic-ōnCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
7Proto-Germanic-ōnąCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
8Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
9Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
11Chichewaiyehe, she

via English wad

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwadAn amorphous, compact mass; A substantial pile; A...
2Middle Englishwadmalwoolen cloth
3Old Norseváðmálwoolen stuff
4Old Norsemállanguage; speech; matter, affair
5Proto-Germanicmēląmeasure, measurement; time, occasion; point in...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmelh₂-to grind, to crush
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmel-soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmey-to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange
Every word from Chichewa iye
prickwad — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer