Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “itching” come from?

Itching comes from Middle English icchen, from Old English ġiċċe, from Proto-Germanic jukjaną, a verb of uncertain ultimate origin meaning to scratch or have a pricking sensation.

itching (English): present participle of itch; A sensation that...

Definitions

  1. present participle of itch; A sensation that...

Ancestry of “itching”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishecchinge—
2Old Englishġiċċendeitching
3Proto-Germanicjukjandz—
4Proto-Germanicjukjanąto itch

Words derived from “itching”

  • itchingly
Every word from Proto-Germanic jukjaną →