Where does “faintling” come from?

faintling (English) comes from English Ling, from Middle English ling, from Old Norse lyng, from Proto-Germanic lingwą, from Proto-Indo-European lengʷʰom, from Proto-Indo-European lengʷʰ- — light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,...

faintling (English): Timorous; feeble-minded; One who is faint,...

Definitions

  1. Timorous; feeble-minded; One who is faint,...

Ancestry of “faintling”, step by step

faintling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Ling

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishLingAny of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae
2Middle EnglishlingAny of various varieties of heather or broom
3Old Norselyngheather, ling
4Proto-Germaniclingwąheather, ling
5Proto-Indo-Europeanlengʷʰom
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlengʷʰ-light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,...

via English faint

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfaintLacking strength; weak; languid; inclined to lose...
2Middle Englishfainten
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lengʷʰ-