Where does “wifebeater” come from?
wifebeater (English) comes 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, from Proto-Italic *-āzios — Forms relational adjectives to nouns (and rarely numerals).
wifebeater (English): One who beats his wife, or a husband prone to...
Definitions
- One who beats his wife, or a husband prone to...
Ancestry of “wifebeater”, step by step
wifebeater traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English beater
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | beater | Someone or something that beats; A kitchen... |
| 2 | Middle English | beter | Alternative form of bettre |
| 3 | Old English | bēatere | a beater; fighter; champion |
| 4 | Old English | -ere | masculine agent suffix, originally applied only... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -ārī | -er |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -ārijaz | -er |
| 7 | Latin | -ārius | er |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *-āzios | Forms relational adjectives to nouns (and rarely numerals) |
via English wife
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wife | A married woman, especially in relation to her... |
| 2 | Middle English | wyf | Alternative form of wif |
| 3 | Old English | wīf | wife; woman, female, lady, wife; female |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wīb | woman; wife |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wībą | woman; wife |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰwíh₂bʰ- | shame, pudenda |