Where does “eyeblink” come from?
eyeblink (English) comes from English blink, from German blinken, from Middle Low German blinken, from Proto-Germanic blinkaną, from Proto-Germanic blīkaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.
eyeblink (English): An act of blinking one's eyelids one time; A...
Definitions
- An act of blinking one's eyelids one time; A...
Ancestry of “eyeblink”, step by step
eyeblink traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English blink
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | blink | To close and reopen both eyes quickly; To flash... |
| 2 | German | blinken | to blink; to indicate |
| 3 | Middle Low German | blinken | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | blinkaną | to shine, glitter, twinkle; to blink, wink |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | blīkaną | to gleam; shine |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |
via English Eye
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Eye | A place name |
| 2 | English | -some | Characterized by some specific condition or... |
| 3 | Middle English | -som | some; having a specific quality |
| 4 | Old English | sum | some |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *sum | some |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sumaz | some (one), a certain (one) |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |