Where does “pique” come from?

pique (Portuguese) comes from Middle French picque, from Old French piquer, from Vulgar Latin piccare, from Frankish pikkōn, from Proto-Germanic pikōną, from Proto-Indo-European bew- — "low-pitch humming noise".

pique (Portuguese): any spear; or specifically a pike; hide-and-seek

Definitions

  1. any spear; or specifically a pike; hide-and-seek

Ancestry of “pique”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchpicquepick; lance
2Old Frenchpiquerto pierce with the tip of a sword
3Vulgar Latinpiccareto puncture; to sting, strike; to pierce
4Frankishpikkōnto peck, strike
5Proto-Germanicpikōną—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbew-"low-pitch humming noise"
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bew- →Every word from Proto-Germanic pikōną →Every word from Frankish pikkōn →