Where does “sickly” come from?
Sickly comes from Middle English seekly, though the ultimate origin and earliest meaning remain uncertain.
sickly (English): Frequently ill or in poor health; Not in good...
Definitions
- Frequently ill or in poor health; Not in good...
Ancestry of “sickly”, step by step
sickly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sick
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sick | In poor health; ill; Having an urge to vomit;... |
| 2 | English | sic | Thus; thus written; To mark with a bracketed sic;... |
| 3 | English | seek | To try to find; to look for; to search for; To... |
| 4 | Middle English | seke | Alternative form of seken |
| 5 | Old English | sēċan | to seek or inquire about |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | sōkijan | to seek, to look for |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | sōkijaną | to seek, look for |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | séh₂gyeti | to give a sign |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂g- | to seek out |
via Middle English seekly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | seekly | — |