the adjective "sticky" is a native english formation, built upon the old english verb stician, which meant "to pierce, stab, or remain fixed." the core semantic notion is one of fixed attachment or penetration. from this verb, the noun sticca (a stick, a pointed piece of wood) was derived, sharing the concept of something that fixes or pierces. by adding the productive adjectival suffix -ig (modern -y), meaning "characterized by," to the noun "stick," the word "sticky" was created to describe the property of a substance that causes things to adhere or remain fixed to it. the evolution thus moves from the literal action of piercing or fixing, to the object that does the fixing (a stick), and finally to the quality of causing adhesion.

Structure: stick (to adhere) + y (adjective-forming suffix) stick (from old english sticca, meaning "a stick, rod" and related to the verb stician, "to pierce, remain fixed"; germanic origin, functioning as the root). y (from old english -ig, a common suffix forming adjectives, meaning "characterized by, full of"; germanic origin, functioning as a derivational suffix).