Where does “belonging” come from?
Belonging derives from Middle English -ing added to Old English bī, which comes from Proto-Indo-European lengʷʰ-, ultimately tracing to roots meaning "to lie" and "together."
belonging (English): present participle of belong; The feeling that...
Definitions
- present participle of belong; The feeling that...
Ancestry of “belonging”, step by step
belonging traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English belong
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | belong | To have its proper place; To be part of, or the... |
| 2 | Middle English | belongen | — |
| 3 | Middle English | be- | — |
| 4 | Old English | be- | a productive prefix usually used to form verbs... |
| 5 | Old English | hrōpan | to shout, proclaim; cry out, scream, howl; to cry... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | hrōpan | to cry out, to call, to shout |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | hrōpaną | to cry out, call, shout |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |
via Middle English belonginge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | belonginge | — |