Where does “humming” come from?
Humming derives from Middle English humming, formed from Old English hum with the Old English suffix -ing, which descends from Proto-Germanic -ungō, a productive suffix forming nouns and gerunds from verb stems.
humming (English): present participle of hum; The sound of something...
Definitions
- present participle of hum; The sound of something...
Ancestry of “humming”, step by step
humming traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English hum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hum | A hummed tune, i.e. created orally with lips... |
| 2 | Middle English | hummen | to hum, buzz, drone, make a murmuring sound to... |
via Middle English hummynge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hummynge | — |