Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. An act of blinking one's eyelids one time; A...

Ancestry of “eyeblink”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishblinkTo close and reopen both eyes quickly; To flash...
2Germanblinkento blink; to indicate
3Middle Low Germanblinken—
4Proto-Germanicblinkanąto shine, glitter, twinkle; to blink, wink
5Proto-Germanicblīkanąto gleam; shine
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →