Where does “dingy” come from?
Dingy comes from Middle English dingy, from Old English dyncgig, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰengʰ-, meaning to stink or reek, via Old English dung and Proto-Germanic dungz.
dingy (English): drab; shabby; dirty; squalid; Alternative form of...
Definitions
- drab; shabby; dirty; squalid; Alternative form of...
Ancestry of “dingy”, step by step
dingy traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English dung
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dung | Manure; animal excrement; A type of manure, as... |
| 2 | Middle English | dung | Alternative form of donge |
| 3 | Old English | dung | dungeon, prison; dung, manure |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *dungu | earth, dirt |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | dungō | dung, manure |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰengʰ- | to cover; to overcast |
via English Ding
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ding | A prefecture of imperial China within present-day Hebei under the Northern Wei, Sui, and Tang dynasties, with its seat at Dingzhou |
| 2 | Middle English | dingen | To violently hit, strike or attack someone; To... |
| 3 | Old English | dingan | to ding |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *dingwan | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | dingwaną | to beat |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰén- | surface |