Pettish
/ˈpɛtɪʃ/noun
Easily irritated or inclined to behave in a childish, sulky way.
Did you know?Pettish developed from petty, whose earliest English sense was simply “small”; its connection with childish irritability emerged later through the stereotype of immature, trivial quarrels.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pet-
“To rush, fly, or move toward a target; the ancestor of later Latin words involving seeking or aiming.”
Classical Latin
Latin
petere
“To seek, aim at, attack, or make for something.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
petitus
“Sought, aimed at, or requested; a past participle derived from petere.”
12th Century
Old French
petit
“Small or little; the source of English petty.”
14th Century
Middle English
petty
“Small, lesser, or of minor importance.”
Late 16th Century
English
pettish
“Irritable, peevish, or childishly sulky, formed from petty with the suffix -ish.”
Modern English
English
pettish
“Easily annoyed and prone to childish displays of displeasure.”