Where does “queerspeak” come from?
queerspeak (English) comes from English speak, from Middle English speke, from Old English specan, from Old English sprecan, from Proto-West Germanic *sprekan, from Proto-Germanic sprekaną, from Proto-Indo-European spreg- — to make a sound, speak; to make a sound, utter,...
queerspeak (English): The style of language used by people who are...
Definitions
- The style of language used by people who are...
Ancestry of “queerspeak”, step by step
queerspeak traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English speak
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | speak | To communicate with one's voice, to say words out... |
| 2 | Middle English | speke | — |
| 3 | Old English | specan | Alternative form of sprecan; to speak |
| 4 | Old English | sprecan | to speak, talk |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *sprekan | to speak |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sprekaną | to speak, to make a noise |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | spreg- | to make a sound, speak; to make a sound, utter,... |
via English queer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | queer | Weird, odd or different; whimsical; Slightly... |
| 2 | Middle Low German | queer | oblique, off-center |
| 3 | Old Saxon | thwerh | contrary, against; bent, crooked |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *þwerh | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | þwerhaz | cross, adverse |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | þerh- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | terkʷ- | to turn, spin |