Where does “kings” come from?
Kings derives from Old English cyng, from Proto-West Germanic kuning, from Proto-Germanic kuningaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- meaning to beget or produce.
kings (English): plural of king; A pair of kings; A drinking game...
Definitions
- plural of king; A pair of kings; A drinking game...
Ancestry of “kings”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | Kinges | vel sim.}} [Book of] Kings each of |
| 2 | Middle English | king | king monarch |
| 3 | Old English | cyning | king |
| 4 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 7 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |