Where does “cheerleading” come from?
Cheerleading derives from English cheer and the Old English suffix -ing, which formed nouns from verbs, ultimately from Proto-Germanic -ungō.
cheerleading (English): A physical activity in which cheerleaders...
Definitions
- A physical activity in which cheerleaders...
Ancestry of “cheerleading”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cheerlead | To participate in cheerleading; To support... |
| 2 | English | cheerleader | A person, usually a young, attractive female, who... |
| 3 | English | cheer | A cheerful attitude; happiness; a good, happy, or... |
| 4 | Middle English | chere | state of mind as indicated by facial expression;... |
| 5 | Anglo-Norman | chere | — |
| 6 | Old French | chiere | face; oblique/nominative feminine singular of... |
| 7 | Latin | cara | nominative feminine singular of cārus; nominative... |
| 8 | Latin | cārus | dear, beloved |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | kāros | dear |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kéh₂ros | loved; dear |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂- | to desire, wish |