Where does “kindling” come from?
Kindling derives from English kindle plus the suffix -ing, tracing through Middle English -ing and Old English -ing and -ung back to Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁-, meaning to produce or generate.
kindling (English): Small pieces of wood and twigs used to start a...
Definitions
- Small pieces of wood and twigs used to start a...
Ancestry of “kindling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | kindle | To start or light; To arouse or inspire; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | kyndel | The offspring or young of an animal |
| 3 | Middle English | kynde | Nature, disposition |
| 4 | Middle English | -nesse | Affixed to adjectives to form abstract nouns... |
| 5 | Old English | -nes | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -nassī | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -inassuz | -ness |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | -ī | -ness, -th |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | -į̄ | -th |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |