I was reading this book! And in it a character said that the word snarky is derived from snark, which itself was formed as a portmanteau of snide remark. sn + ark = snark. What a cool story! Unfortunately, totally untrue.
"Snark" actually comes from "snarky," Low German snarken meaning to snort or sneer. It's derived ultimately from the PIE root nas for nose, and is related etymologically to the word "narc." The modern meaning of contemptuous or mocking critique only dates back to about the 1990s.
It has nothing to do with the "Hunting of the Snark," one of my favorite poems.
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