Where does “cuddle” come from?
Cuddle derives from Middle English cudden, related to Middle English kithen and Old English cȳþan, meaning to make known, tracing back through Old English cūþ, Proto-Germanic kunþijaną and kannijaną, to the Proto-Indo-European root ǵen- meaning to produce or know.
cuddle (English): A snuggle; an affectionate embrace, often given...
Definitions
- A snuggle; an affectionate embrace, often given...
Ancestry of “cuddle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cudden | — |
| 2 | Middle English | kithen | Alternative form of kiþen; to be familiar with,... |
| 3 | Old English | cȳþan | to make known: tell, inform, announce, reveal, let know |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | kunþijan | to make known |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kunþijaną | to make known, announce |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -janą | Derives denominatives from nouns and factitives... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 9 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |