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.
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
| 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 | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *-āzios | — |
Words derived from “wifebeater”