Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Pong” come from?

Pong comes from English ping-pong, a game named for the sound of the ball striking the paddle and table.

Ancestry of “Pong”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpingA high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound; A...
2Middle Englishpingento push, shove, pierce, stab, prod, goad, urge,...
3Old Englishpynganto prick
4Latinpungeresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
5Proto-Italicpungōto prick, to sting
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpewǵ-to punch, fist-fight; to prick, poke, stab
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pewǵ- →