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
- A mischievous child; A street urchin, a child who...
Ancestry of “urchin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | yrchoun | hedgehog; sea urchin; echinoderm; A stuffed pig... |
| 2 | Old French | heriçun | hedgehog |
| 3 | Old French | eriz | — |
| 4 | Latin | ēricius | hedgehog |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰḗr | hedgehog |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰer- | to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines |
Words derived from “urchin”