Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “spazzer” come from?

spazzer (English) comes from English spastic, from Latin spasticus, from Ancient Greek σπαστικός, from Ancient Greek -τικός, from Ancient Greek -σις, from Ancient Greek -τις, from Proto-Indo-European -tis — Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots.

spazzer (English): A mentally retarded person

Definitions

  1. A mentally retarded person

Ancestry of “spazzer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishspasticOf, relating to, or affected by spasm; Of or...
2Latinspasticus—
3Ancient Greekσπαστικόςdrawing in, absorbing
4Ancient Greek-τικόςrelating to, suited to, skilled in, able to,...
5Ancient Greek-σιςAdded to verb stems to form abstract nouns or...
6Ancient Greek-τιςEarlier form of -σις , retained after dentals δ,...
7Proto-Indo-European-tisDerives abstract/action nouns from verb roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tis →