Where does “sneak” come from?
Sneak comes from Middle English sniken, from Old English snīcan, from Proto-West Germanic snīkan, from Proto-Germanic snīkaną, from Proto-Indo-European sneyg-.
sneak (English): One who sneaks; one who moves stealthily to...
Definitions
- One who sneaks; one who moves stealthily to...
Ancestry of “sneak”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sniken | to creep, crawl |
| 2 | Old English | snīcan | to creep, crawl; to creep; crawl |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | snīkan | to crawl; to creep |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | snīkaną | to crawl; to creep |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sneyg- | to crawl |
Words derived from “sneak”