Where does “stickler” come from?
Stickler comes from Middle English stighteler, of uncertain origin and meaning.
stickler (English): A referee or adjudicator at a fight, wrestling...
Definitions
- A referee or adjudicator at a fight, wrestling...
Ancestry of “stickler”, step by step
stickler traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English stickle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stickle | A sharp point; prickle; a spine; steep; high;... |
| 2 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 3 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 4 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 5 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via Middle English stighteler
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stighteler | — |