Where does “keening” come from?
Keening derives from Irish caoin, from Old Irish caín, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵneh₃-, a root expressing lamentation or mournful sound.
keening (English): Sharp, shrill, especially of a sound; Intense...
Definitions
- Sharp, shrill, especially of a sound; Intense...
Ancestry of “keening”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | keen | Often with a prepositional phrase, or with to and... |
| 2 | Irish | caoin | smooth, delicate, polished; kind, gentle,... |
| 3 | Middle Irish | caín | smooth finished side; "especially" the outer... |
| 4 | Old Irish | caín | fine, good; fair, beautiful |
| 5 | Proto-Celtic | *kanis | nice, good |