Where does “Ginger” come from?
Ginger (English) comes from English gingerly, from English -ly, from English grisly, from Middle English grisely, from Old English grisliċ, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic *-līk.
Ginger (English): and nickname. Popularized by actress Ginger Rogers
Definitions
- and nickname. Popularized by actress Ginger Rogers
Ancestry of “Ginger”, step by step
Ginger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English gingerly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gingerly | In a delicate and cautious manner; Very careful... |
| 2 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 3 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 4 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 5 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 6 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |
via Middle English gingere
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | gingere | Alternative form of gingivere |