late 14c., "to have a ringing sensation when hearing something," also "to have a stinging or thrilling feeling," variation of tinkelen (see tinkle). Related: Tingled; tingling. The noun is first recorded 1700 in reference to sound, 1848 in reference to sensation.
-y 2
adjective suffix, "full of or characterized by," from Old English -ig, from Proto-Germanic *-iga- (source also of Dutch, Danish, German -ig, Gothic -egs), from PIE -(i)ko-, adjectival suffix, cognate with elements in Greek -ikos, Latin -icus (see -ic). Originally added to nouns in Old English; used from 13c. with verbs, and by 15c. even with other adjectives (for example crispy). Adjectives such as hugy, vasty are artificial words that exist for the sake of poetical metrics.