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Origin and history of snarky

snarky(adj.)

"irritable, short-tempered," by 1901, from snark (v.) "find fault with, nag" (1882), literally "to snort" (1866), which is from an imitative source. Compare Low German snarken, North Frisian snarke, Swedish snarka; also compare snarl (v.2) and sneer (v.).

The people like a cheerful prophet. The people will feel for [sic] more kindly toward the Ford county prophet who says there will be green grass in October than they would toward some snarky pessimist with a claim about early frost, and short-lived pastures. [Topeka (Kansas) Daily Capital, Aug. 14, 1901]

Also compare narky "bad-tempered, sarcastic" (1895), British slang from earlier nark "annoying, quarrelsome, or unpleasant person" (1846), from nark (q.v.).

It seems to have emerged anew as a vogue word c. 1997 to indicate " said or written in a hostile, knowing, bitter tone of contempt." The back-formation snark (n.) "caustic, opinionated, and critical rhetoric" is by c. 2002. Related: Snarkily; snarkiness.

also from 1901

Entries linking to snarky

nark

1859, "to act as a police informer" (v.); 1860, "police informer" (n.), probably from Romany nak "nose," from Hindi nak, from Sanskrit nakra, which probably is related to Sanskrit nasa "nose" (from PIE root *nas- "nose"). Sense and spelling tending to merge with etymologically unrelated narc (q.v.).

snark(n.)

1876 as the name of an imaginary animal, coined by "Lewis Carroll" in "The Hunting of the Snark." In 1950s, it was the name given to a type of U.S. cruise missile, and in 1980s to a type of sailboat. The meaning "caustic, opinionated, and critical rhetoric" is by c. 2002, probably from snarky and not directly related, if at all, to Carroll's use of snark.

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Trends of snarky

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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sneer
1550s, "to snort" (intransitive, of horses), perhaps from North Frisian sneere "to scorn," related to Old English fnæran "snort, gnash one's teeth," and of imitative origin (compare Danish snærre "grin like a dog," Middle Dutch, Middle High German snarren "to rattle"). The meanin
sardonic
"apparently but not really proceeding from gaiety," especially of laughter, a grin, etc., 1630s, from French sardonique (16c.), from Latin sardonius (but as if from *sardonicus) as used in the phrase Sardonius risus, a loan-translation of Greek sardonios gelōs "of bitter or scorn
adaptation
c. 1600, "action of adapting (something to something else)," from French adaptation, from Late Latin adaptationem (nominative adaptatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of adaptare "to adjust," from ad "to" (see ad-) + aptare "to join," from aptus "fitted" (see apt). Th
vow
"solemn promise," c. 1300, from Anglo-French and Old French voe (Modern French vœu), from Latin votum "a promise to a god, solemn pledge, dedication; that which is promised; a wish, desire, longing, prayer," noun use of neuter of votus, past participle of vovere "to promise solem
period
early 15c., periode, "a course or extent of time; a cycle of recurrence of a disease," from Old French periode (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin periodus "recurring portion, cycle," from Latin periodus "a complete sentence," also "cycle of the Greek games," from Greek perio
vanity
c. 1200, "that which is vain, futile, or worthless," from Old French vanite "self-conceit; futility; lack of resolve" (12c.), from Latin vanitatem (nominative vanitas) "emptiness, aimlessness; falsity," figuratively "vainglory, foolish pride," from vanus "empty, void," figurative
propitiation
late 14c., propiciacioun, "atonement, expiation," from Late Latin propitiationem (nominative propitiatio) "an atonement," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin propitiare "appease, propitiate," from propitius "favorable, gracious, kind, well-disposed." The current exp
basket case
1919, American English, originally a reference to rumors of quadriplegics as a result of catastrophic wounds suffered in World War I (the U.S. military authorities vehemently denied there were any such in its hospitals), from basket (n.) + case (n.2). Probably literal, i.e., stuc
defenestration
1620, "the action of throwing out of a window," from Latin fenestra "window." A word invented for one incident: the "Defenestration of Prague," May 21, 1618, when two Catholic deputies to the Bohemian national assembly and a secretary were tossed out the window of the castle of H
carpenter
"artificer in timber, one who does the heavier sort of wood-working," c. 1300 (attested from early 12c. as a surname), from Anglo-French carpenter, Old North French carpentier (Old French and Modern French charpentier), from Late Latin (artifex) carpentarius "wagon (maker); carri

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