Sike
/saɪk/noun
A small stream, ditch, or drainage channel, chiefly in northern English dialects.
Did you know?The modern slang spelling “sike!” is generally treated as a respelling of “psych!”, while the older dialect noun sike has a separate Scandinavian-rooted history.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*sīkō
“A small stream, channel, or watercourse”
Old Norse
Old Norse
sík
“A ditch, trench, or small stream”
Old English
Old English
sīc
“A small stream or channel”
Middle English
Middle English
sik
“A stream, ditch, or drainage channel”
17th Century
English
sike
“A small stream, especially in northern England or Scotland”
Modern English
English
sike
“A dialect word for a small stream or ditch; later also used online as a respelling of “psych!””