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
- A piece of jewelry worn on the ear
Ancestry of “earring”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | erering | — |
| 2 | Old English | ēarhring | ear-ring |
| 3 | Old English | hring | ring |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hring | ring, circle |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hringaz | ring, circle; curve; sound, ring |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)krengʰ- | to turn, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |
Words derived from “earring”