Where does “blank” come from?

blank (Danish) comes from Middle Low German blank, from Old Saxon blank, from Proto-Germanic *blank, from Proto-Germanic blankaz, from Proto-Indo-European bhleg- — to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch.

blank (Danish): bright, shining, glossy; empty; blank

Definitions

  1. bright, shining, glossy; empty; blank

Ancestry of “blank”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germanblank
2Old Saxonblank
3Proto-Germanic*blank
4Proto-Germanicblankazbright, shining, white, gleaming, blinding
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbhleg-to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bhleg-Every word from Proto-Germanic blankazEvery word from Proto-Germanic *blank