Where does “wife beater” come from?
wife beater (English) comes from English wifebeater, from English beater, from Middle English beter, from Old English bēatere, from Old English -ere, from Proto-West Germanic -ārī, from Proto-Germanic -ārijaz, from Latin -ārius — Forms relational adjectives to nouns (and rarely numerals).
wife beater (English): Alternative spelling of wifebeater
Definitions
- Alternative spelling of wifebeater
Ancestry of “wife beater”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wifebeater | One who beats his wife, or a husband prone to... |
| 2 | English | beater | Someone or something that beats; A kitchen... |
| 3 | Middle English | beter | Alternative form of bettre |
| 4 | Old English | bēatere | a beater; fighter; champion |
| 5 | Old English | -ere | masculine agent suffix, originally applied only... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -ārī | -er |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -ārijaz | -er |
| 8 | Latin | -ārius | er |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | *-āzios | Forms relational adjectives to nouns (and rarely numerals) |