The word "chalkier" is spelled with the letter combination "-ie-" instead of "-ei-", which may seem unusual to some English speakers. However, this spelling follows the general pronunciation rule of the "ie" sound, where the "i" comes before the "e" when there is a "k" or "c" sound preceding it. In IPA phonetic transcription, "chalkier" is pronounced as /ˈtʃɔːk.iər/, with a soft "ch" sound and emphasis on the first syllable.
The word "chalkier" is derived from the noun "chalk".
The noun "chalk" originated from the Old English word "cealc" which shares its roots with the Greek word "khalix" and Latin word "calx", both meaning "pebble". In Latin, "calx" specifically referred to a kind of limestone that could be used for making lime. Over time, "chalk" came to refer to a soft, fine-grained, white limestone that is easily crushed into a powder.
The suffix "-ier" in "chalkier" is an adjective-forming suffix that means "more chalky" or "resembling chalk". It is added to the base word "chalk" to form an adjective that describes something as having the characteristics or properties of chalk.