Where does “bleak” come from?
Bleak derives from Middle English bleke, from Old English blǣġe, from Proto-Germanic blaigijǭ, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleyk-.
bleak (English): Without color; pale; pallid; Desolate and...
Definitions
- Without color; pale; pallid; Desolate and...
Ancestry of “bleak”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bleke | small river fish, bleak, blay |
| 2 | Old English | blǣċ | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | blaikaz | pale, white |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰloyǵ-os | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleyǵ- | to shine |
Words derived from “bleak”