Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “chic” come from?

chic (French) comes from German Schick, from Middle High German schicken, from Middle High German geschehen, from Old High German giskehan, from Proto-West Germanic *skehan, from Proto-Germanic skehaną, from Proto-Indo-European sḱek-.

chic (French): elegant; considerate; elegance

Definitions

  1. elegant; considerate; elegance

Ancestry of “chic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanSchickchic
2Middle High Germanschickento outfit oneself, fit in, arrange appropriately
3Middle High Germangeschehento happen, rush
4Old High Germangiskehanto happen
5Proto-West Germanic*skehan—
6Proto-Germanicskehanąto jump; spring up; to emerge; come up; happen
7Proto-Indo-Europeansḱek-—

Words derived from “chic”

  • chic
  • chicly
  • ultrachic
  • chicness
  • superchic
  • unchic
  • unchicly
  • chiconomics
  • uberchic
  • chic
  • шик
  • chiquement
  • chicard
  • Chic
  • todschick
  • schick
  • chique
  • chic
  • sjiek
  • chic
  • szyk
  • шик
  • شیک
  • sjiek
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sḱek- →