Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “urchin” come from?

Urchin comes from Middle English irchoun, from Old French heriçun, from Old French eriz, from Latin ericius, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰḗr and ǵʰer-.

urchin (English): A mischievous child; A street urchin, a child who...

Definitions

  1. A mischievous child; A street urchin, a child who...

Ancestry of “urchin”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishyrchounhedgehog; sea urchin; echinoderm; A stuffed pig...
2Old Frenchheriçunhedgehog
3Old Frencheriz—
4Latinēricius—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰḗrhedgehog
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰer-to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines

Words derived from “urchin”

  • hurcheon
  • urchinlike
  • sea urchin
  • nano-urchin
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- →