Where does “whipstitch” come from?

whipstitch (English) comes from English stitch, from Middle English sticchen, from Old English stiċċan, from Proto-Germanic stikjaną — to stab, stick, prick.

whipstitch (English): A stitch that passes diagonally over an edge; A...

Definitions

  1. A stitch that passes diagonally over an edge; A...

Ancestry of “whipstitch”, step by step

whipstitch traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English stitch

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstitchA single pass of a needle in sewing; the loop or...
2Middle Englishsticchen—
3Old Englishstiċċan—
4Proto-Germanicstikjanąto stab, stick, prick

via English whip

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhipA lash; a pliant, flexible instrument, such as a...
2Middle Englishwhippen—
3Middle Dutchwippento swing, leap, dance, oscillate
Every word from Proto-Germanic stikjaną →Every word from Old English stiċċan →Every word from Middle English sticchen →