Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “blowing” come from?

Blowing derives from Middle English -ing, a suffix from Old English -ing, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, meaning to swell or blow.

blowing (English): present participle of blow; The act of one who...

Definitions

  1. present participle of blow; The act of one who...

Ancestry of “blowing”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishblowynge—
2Middle EnglishblowenTo blow; to produce a current of air; To...
3Old Englishblōwanto bloom, blossom
4Proto-West Germanicblōanto bloom, to flower
5Proto-Germanicblōanąto bloom, to flower
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-bloom, flower
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “blowing”

  • whistleblowing
  • glassblowing
  • safeblowing
  • stoneblowing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →