Where does “lank” come from?

Lank comes from Middle English lank, from Old English hlanc, from Proto-West Germanic hlank, from Proto-Germanic hlankaz, from Proto-Indo-European kleng-.

lank (English): Slender or thin; not well filled out; not plump;...

Definitions

  1. Slender or thin; not well filled out; not plump;...

Ancestry of “lank”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlank—
2Old Englishhlancloose, slender, flaccid, lank
3Proto-West Germanichlankflexible, bent
4Proto-Germanichlankazflexible; bendsome; slim; slender; sleek
5Proto-Indo-Europeankleng-to turn, bend; to bend, turn, wind, twist

Words derived from “lank”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kleng- →