Where does “kiss” come from?
Kiss derives from Middle English kissen, from Proto-Germanic kussijaną and kussaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots expressing the -yeti verb formation.
kiss (English): To touch with the lips or press the lips against,...
Definitions
- To touch with the lips or press the lips against,...
Ancestry of “kiss”, step by step
kiss traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English kissen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | kissen | to kiss |
| 2 | Old English | cyssan | to kiss |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *kussijan | to kiss |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kussijaną | to kiss |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -janą | Derives denominatives from nouns and factitives... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 8 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via Middle English kussen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | kussen | — |