Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “snigger” come from?

snigger (English) comes from English snicker, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti — he, she.

snigger (English): A partly suppressed or broken laugh; A sly or...

Definitions

  1. A partly suppressed or broken laugh; A sly or...

Ancestry of “snigger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsnickerA stifled or broken laugh; To emit a snicker, a...
2English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
3Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
4Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
5Latin-āre—
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
10Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “snigger”

  • snicker
  • snickering
  • snigger
  • sniggering
  • sniggle
  • sniggeringly
  • sniggler
  • sniggerer
  • snickle
  • sniggery
  • snickerer
  • snickeringly
  • sniggersome
Every word from Chichewa iye →