Where does “gnawing” come from?

Gnawing comes from Middle English gnawynge, formed from the Old English verb with the suffix -ing (from Old English -ung), ultimately derived from Proto-Germanic gnaganą.

gnawing (English): severe or intense; present participle of gnaw;...

Definitions

  1. severe or intense; present participle of gnaw;...

Ancestry of “gnawing”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishgnawyngeGnawing; avid chewing or consuming; A severe pain...
2Middle EnglishgnawenTo gnaw; to continually bite or chew; To eat or...
3Old Englishgnaganto gnaw
4Proto-West Germanicgnaganto gnaw
5Proto-Germanicgnaganąto gnaw
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰnēgʰ-to gnaw, scratch

Words derived from “gnawing”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰnēgʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic gnaganą →Every word from Proto-West Germanic gnagan →