Where does “blench” come from?
blench (English) comes from Old French blanchir, from Old French blanc, from Late Latin blancus, from Frankish blank, from Proto-Germanic *blank, from Proto-Germanic blankaz, from Proto-Indo-European bhleg- — to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch.
blench (English): To shrink; start back; give way; flinch; turn...
Definitions
- To shrink; start back; give way; flinch; turn...
Ancestry of “blench”, step by step
blench traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French blanchir
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | blanchir | |
| 2 | Old French | blanc | white |
| 3 | Late Latin | blancus | white |
| 4 | Frankish | blank | bright; gleaming, white, blinding; bright,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *blank | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | blankaz | bright, shining, white, gleaming, blinding |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bhleg- | to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch |
via Middle English blench
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | blench | A deceit; a trick |
| 2 | Old English | blenċan | to deceive, cheat |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | blankijaną | to shine, to blink, to flash; to cheat, to... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleyǵ- | to shine |