Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “free climbing” come from?

free climbing (English) comes from English climbing, from Middle English clymbyng, from Middle English -ing, from Old English -ing, from Old English -tūn, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną — smoke; mist, haze.

free climbing (English): Rock climbing without the aid of ropes or other...

Definitions

  1. Rock climbing without the aid of ropes or other...

Ancestry of “free climbing”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishclimbingThe sport of climbing, ascending a wall or a rock...
2Middle Englishclymbyngclimbing, ascension; rising in society
3Middle English-ingForms gerunds from verbs, typically referring to...
4Old English-ingForming nouns from verbs, indicating action,...
5Old English-tūn—
6Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
7Proto-West Germanictūnfence
8Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
9Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
10Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
11Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →