Where does “knotty” come from?

knotty (Middle English) comes from Middle English -y, from Middle English -ien, from Old English -ian, from Old English -ōjan, from Proto-West Germanic -ōn, from Proto-Germanic -ōną, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti — he, she.

knotty (Middle English): knotted, tied, linked; knotty, tangled, twisted;...

Definitions

  1. knotted, tied, linked; knotty, tangled, twisted;...

Ancestry of “knotty”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle English-yDesignates an adjective, in many cases formed by...
2Middle English-ienForms nouns and adjectives denoting origin, association, or residence; -ian
3Old English-ianForms verbs from nouns and adjectives
4Old English-ōjan
5Proto-West Germanic-ōnCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
6Proto-Germanic-ōnąCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
10Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Chichewa iyeEvery word from Proto-Indo-European -yétiEvery word from Proto-Germanic -ōną
knotty — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer