Where does “gnawingly” come from?
gnawingly (English) comes from English gnawing, from Middle English gnawynge, from Middle English gnawen, from Old English gnagan, from Proto-West Germanic gnagan, from Proto-Germanic gnaganą, from Proto-Indo-European gʰnēgʰ- — to gnaw, scratch.
gnawingly (English): In a manner that chafes or worries
Definitions
- In a manner that chafes or worries
Ancestry of “gnawingly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | gnawing | severe or intense; present participle of gnaw;... |
| 2 | Middle English | gnawynge | Gnawing; avid chewing or consuming; A severe pain... |
| 3 | Middle English | gnawen | To gnaw; to continually bite or chew; To eat or... |
| 4 | Old English | gnagan | to gnaw |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | gnagan | to gnaw |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | gnaganą | to gnaw |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰnēgʰ- | to gnaw, scratch |