Where does “knell” come from?
Knell comes from Middle English knellen, from Old English cnyllan, from Proto-Germanic knuzlijaną, from Proto-Indo-European gen-.
knell (English): To ring a bell slowly, especially for a funeral;...
Definitions
- To ring a bell slowly, especially for a funeral;...
Ancestry of “knell”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | knyllen | To knell; to ring or toll a bell |
| 2 | Old English | cnyllan | to strike, knock, clap; to knell, ring a bell |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *knuʀlijan | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | knuzlijaną | to butt; bump; knock; beat; to mash |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵen- | — |