Where does “pricky” come from?
pricky (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.
pricky (English): Stiff and sharp; prickly
Ancestry of “pricky”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | prick | A small hole or perforation, caused by piercing;... |
| 2 | Middle English | prikken | to prick, pierce |
| 3 | Old English | prician | to prick |
| 4 | Old English | -ian | Forms verbs from nouns and adjectives |
| 5 | Old English | -ōjan | — |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -ōn | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 11 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |