'tyke' originates from Old Norse, specifically the word 'tík', where 'tík' meant 'female dog'.

'tyke' changed from Middle English 'tike' (meaning 'dog, cur' or 'rude fellow') and derived from Old Norse 'tík'; later English usage broadened and shifted to include meanings like 'coarse person' and 'child', with 'tyke/tykes' surviving in colloquial speech.

Initially, it meant 'female dog' or 'cur', but over time it evolved to mean 'a coarse or uncouth person' and later acquired the affectionate sense 'small, mischievous child' in modern colloquial usage.