Where does “stinky” come from?
Stinky derives from Middle English stinky, with ultimate origins uncertain.
stinky (English): Having a strong, unpleasant smell; stinking; Bad,...
Definitions
- Having a strong, unpleasant smell; stinking; Bad,...
Ancestry of “stinky”, step by step
stinky traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English stink
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stink | To have a strong bad smell; To be greatly... |
| 2 | Middle English | stynken | To emit a smell or stench; to stink; To be... |
| 3 | Old English | stincan | to smell; to stink |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *stinkwan | to stink |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | stinkwaną | to hit; thrust; clash; to emit a smell; stink |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stengʷ- | to push |
via Middle English stinky
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stinky | — |