Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “kindred” come from?

Kindred comes from Middle English kindrede, from Old English cynrēd, from Old English cynn meaning "family," from Proto-Germanic kunją, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning "to beget or give birth."

kindred (English): Distant and close relatives, collectively; kin;...

Definitions

  1. Distant and close relatives, collectively; kin;...

Ancestry of “kindred”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishkindrede—
2Middle Englishkinredekindred
3Old Englishcynrēd—
4Old Englishcynnkind; tribe, race, species; family
5Proto-West Germanic*kuni—
6Proto-Germanickunjąkin, family, clan; omen, portent, miracle
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵn̥h₁yom—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵenh₁-to produce, to beget, to give birth

Words derived from “kindred”

  • kindredship
  • kindredness
  • unkindred
  • Kindred
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- →