Where does “piquant” come from?
piquant (Middle French) comes from Middle French piquer, from Old French piquer, from Vulgar Latin piccare, from Frankish pikkōn, from Proto-Germanic pikōną, from Proto-Indo-European bew- — "low-pitch humming noise".
piquant (Middle French): present participle of piquer; gerund of piquer;...
Definitions
- present participle of piquer; gerund of piquer;...
Ancestry of “piquant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | piquer | — |
| 2 | Old French | piquer | to pierce with the tip of a sword |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | piccare | to puncture; to sting, strike; to pierce |
| 4 | Frankish | pikkōn | to peck, strike |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | pikōną | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bew- | "low-pitch humming noise" |
Words derived from “piquant”