Where does “Greekling” come from?
Greekling (English) comes from English greek, from Old English Grēcas, from Esperanto kreko, from Latin Graecus, from Ancient Greek Γραικός, from Ancient Greek γραῖα, from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- — to grow old, to mature.
Greekling (English): A little Greek, or one of small esteem or pretensions
Definitions
- A little Greek, or one of small esteem or pretensions
Ancestry of “Greekling”, step by step
Greekling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English greek
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | greek | Alternative letter-case form of Greek; To display... |
| 2 | Old English | Grēcas | the Greeks; Greeks |
| 3 | Esperanto | kreko | teal |
| 4 | Latin | Graecus | Greek, Grecian, of or pertaining to the Greek... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Γραικός | Greek; a Graecian, a member of an ancient... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | γραῖα | Graea, Boeotia; Greece |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵerh₂- | to grow old, to mature |
via English Ling
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ling | Any of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae |
| 2 | Middle English | ling | Any of various varieties of heather or broom |
| 3 | Old Norse | lyng | heather, ling |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lingwą | heather, ling |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰ- | light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,... |