Where does “cliffhang” come from?
cliffhang (English) comes from English cliffhanger, from English hanger, from English Hang, from English dang, from English damn, from Middle English dampnen, from Old French dampner, from Latin damnō — to share, divide.
cliffhang (English): To be in suspense
Definitions
- To be in suspense
Ancestry of “cliffhang”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cliffhanger | An ending or stopping point calculated to leave a... |
| 2 | English | hanger | One who hangs, or causes to be hanged; a hangman,... |
| 3 | English | Hang | Name and trademark of a musical instrument... |
| 4 | English | dang | Damn; A damn, a negligible quantity, minimal... |
| 5 | English | damn | To condemn to hell; To condemn; to declare... |
| 6 | Middle English | dampnen | to damn |
| 7 | Old French | dampner | to damn |
| 8 | Latin | damnō | to discredit, find fault, disapprove, reject |
| 9 | Latin | damnum | damage or injury; loss; a fine |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | dapnom | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | dh₂pnóm | expense, investment |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂p- | to sacrifice; to lose |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂- | to share, divide |