Where does “headlong” come from?
Headlong comes from Middle English hedlong, from Middle English hedling, from Old English hēafodling, a derivative of hēafod meaning head.
headlong (English): With the head first or down; With an unrestrained...
Definitions
- With the head first or down; With an unrestrained...
Ancestry of “headlong”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hedlong | — |
| 2 | Middle English | hedling | — |
| 3 | Old English | hēafodling | an equal, fellow-servant |
| 4 | Old English | -ling | adverbial suffix denoting direction, state or... |
| 5 | Old English | lang | long; lasting; old, ancient; advanced |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | lang | long |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | langaz | long |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dlongʰos | long |