Etymology

backchat

B3A1C3K5C3H4A1T1

Today it means: Cheeky or impertinent responses, especially to criticism. Full definition →

English chat ← Middle English chateren ← Old English bæc
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeg-der.?
  2. Proto-Germanic*baką
  3. Proto-West Germanic*bak
  4. Old Englishbæc
  5. Middle Englishbak
  6. Englishback
  7. Middle Englishcheteren, chiteren (Imitative)
  8. Middle Englishchateren
  9. Englishchatterclip.
  10. Englishchat
  11. English todaybackchat

From back + chat.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.