Cheek — From Proto-Germanic to English | etymologist.ai
cheek
/tʃiːk/·noun·before 1000 CE·Established
Origin
From OldEnglish 'ceace' (cheek, jaw) — originally the whole jaw area; the slang sense of 'impudence' appeared in the 1800s.
Definition
Either side of the face below the eye.
The Full Story
Proto-Germanicbefore 1000 CEwell-attested
From OldEnglish 'cēce' or 'cēace' (cheek, jaw, jawbone), from Proto-Germanic *kaukō or *keukō (jaw, cheek), possibly from PIE *ǵewh- (to chew), reflecting the cheek as the part of the face that moves when chewing. Theword's meaning has narrowed over time: in Old English it could mean 'jaw' or 'jawbone' as well as the fleshy side of the face. The colloquialsense of 'impudence, audacity
Did you know?
In OldEnglish, 'cheek' could meanthe entire jaw or jawbone, not just the fleshy side of the face. The word's meaning narrowedovertime. The slang sense of 'cheek' meaning 'impudence' or 'audacity' first appeared in the nineteenth century — 'cheeky' (impudent) is a British English formation from the 1850s, perhaps from the image of someone speaking