Etymograph

English

sucker

Sucker comes from Middle English souker ‘a breastfeeder’, from Old English sūcan ‘to suck’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *su-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*su-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sug-reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sūkaną‘to suck’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sūkan‘to suck’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150sūcan‘to suck’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500souken‘to breastfeed’
  7. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500souker‘a breastfeeder’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1642sucker

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*su-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sug-reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sūkaną‘to suck’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sūkan‘to suck’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150sūcan‘to suck’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500souken‘to breastfeed’
  7. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500souker‘a breastfeeder’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1642sucker

Earliest quotation: 1642, Thomas Fuller: “They who constantly converse with men far above their…”

Formed from suck + -er

Proto-Indo-European *sewg-

Proto-Germanic *sūkaną ‘to suck’

Proto-West Germanic *sūkan ‘to suck’

Old English sūcan ‘to suck’

Middle English souken ‘to breastfeed’

English suck

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *sūkaną ‘to suck’

soak, 2 more

through Old English sūcan ‘to suck’

sook, honeysuckle, 2 more

through Middle English souken ‘to breastfeed’

soaking, 1 more

Another origin of sucker

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂g-‘to seek out’uncertain
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sakaną‘to quarrel, to argue, to debate’uncertain
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sakō‘quarrel’uncertain
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*saku‘accusation, charge’uncertain
  5. Old High Germanc. 750–1050sahhauncertain
  6. Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350sacheuncertain
  7. Germanc. 1650–presentSache‘thing’uncertain
  8. Englishtodaysucker

Today it means

noun A person or animal that sucks, especially a breast or udder; especially a suckling animal, young mammal before it is weaned.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *su- / sucker

Shirt and support for this word