Where does “piker” come from?
piker (Middle English) comes from Middle English piken, from Middle English pyke, from Old English pīc, from Proto-Germanic *pīk, from Latin pix, from Proto-Indo-European pik-, from Proto-Indo-European pi- — sap, juice.
piker (Middle English): A robber or pickpocket
Ancestry of “piker”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | piken | To pick at; to use a edged tool on; To pierce or... |
| 2 | Middle English | pyke | A sharp round point or projection; A point or end... |
| 3 | Old English | pīc | pointed object, pick axe |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *pīk | — |
| 5 | Latin | pix | pitch, tar |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pik- | to be angry; pitch; resin |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pi- | sap, juice |