Where does “astonishing” come from?
Astonishing comes from Old English āstunian, combining the prefix ā- (from or-) with a root from Proto-Indo-European (s)ten-, meaning to stun or stupefy through shock.
astonishing (English): Causing astonishment; present participle of...
Definitions
- Causing astonishment; present participle of...
Ancestry of “astonishing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | astonish | To surprise greatly |
| 2 | English | astone | To astonish |
| 3 | Middle English | astonien | — |
| 4 | Old English | āstunian | — |
| 5 | Old English | ā- | a-; away, out |
| 6 | Old English | ar- | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | uʀ- | out, over; off, away |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | uz- | up, out |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | uss- | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | uds- | up, out |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | úd | out, outward |