Where does “fingle-fangle” come from?
fingle-fangle (English) comes from English fangle, from Middle English fangelen, from Middle English fangel, from Old English fangol, from Old English fōn, from Old Norse fanga, from Middle Low German vangen, from Proto-Germanic fangōną — he, she.
fingle-fangle (English): A trifle; something of no importance
Definitions
- A trifle; something of no importance
Ancestry of “fingle-fangle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fangle | To fashion, manufacture, invent, or create; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | fangelen | — |
| 3 | Middle English | fangel | inclined to take |
| 4 | Old English | fangol | inclined to take |
| 5 | Old English | fōn | to take, grasp, seize, catch, capture, make... |
| 6 | Old Norse | fanga | to fetch, capture |
| 7 | Middle Low German | vangen | captive; to catch |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | fangōną | to catch, capture |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 13 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |