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
- severe or intense; present participle of gnaw;...
Ancestry of “gnawing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | gnawynge | Gnawing; avid chewing or consuming; A severe pain... |
| 2 | Middle English | gnawen | To gnaw; to continually bite or chew; To eat or... |
| 3 | Old English | gnagan | to gnaw |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | gnagan | to gnaw |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gnaganą | to gnaw |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰnēgʰ- | to gnaw, scratch |
Words derived from “gnawing”