Where does “earring” come from?

Earring comes from Middle English erering, from Old English ēarhring, a compound of ēare (ear) and hring (ring).

earring (English): A piece of jewelry worn on the ear

Definitions

  1. A piece of jewelry worn on the ear

Ancestry of “earring”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englisherering—
2Old Englishēarhringear-ring
3Old Englishhringring
4Proto-West Germanichringring, circle
5Proto-Germanichringazring, circle; curve; sound, ring
6Proto-Indo-European(s)krengʰ-to turn, bend
7Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
8Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

Words derived from “earring”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)krengʰ- →