the word 'tricky' is a modern english formation, originating in the early 18th century. it is built upon the noun 'trick', which entered middle english from old north french 'trique', a word of uncertain origin, possibly related to dutch 'trik' meaning a whim or deception. the suffix '-y', of old english origin, is a highly productive adjectival suffix used to form words meaning 'characterized by' or 'full of'. therefore, 'tricky' literally means 'full of tricks', a sense which logically evolved to describe both things that are deceptively difficult to handle and people who are prone to deceit.

the word is a simplex form derived from the base word 'trick' with the addition of the adjectival suffix '-y'.