Where does “chink” come from?

Chink comes from Middle English chine, Old English ċine, Proto-Germanic kinō, and Proto-Indo-European ǵi-n-, ultimately from the root ǵey-.

chink (English): A narrow opening such as a fissure or crack; A...

Definitions

  1. A narrow opening such as a fissure or crack; A...

Ancestry of “chink”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishchine—
2Old Englishċinea crack, chine, chink
3Swahilikinumortar
4Proto-GermanickinōA split; crack; A germ; sprout
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵi-n-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵey-to split; divide; germinate; sprout; to split;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵi-n- →Every word from Proto-Germanic kinō →