Where does “blink” come from?
Blink comes from Middle English blynken, from Old English blincan, from Proto-Germanic blinkaną and blīkaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰel- and bʰleh₃-.
blink (English): To close and reopen both eyes quickly; To flash...
Definitions
- To close and reopen both eyes quickly; To flash...
Ancestry of “blink”, step by step
blink traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German blinken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | blinken | to blink; to indicate |
| 2 | Middle Low German | blinken | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | blinkaną | to shine, glitter, twinkle; to blink, wink |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | blīkaną | to gleam; shine |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |