Where does “lurking” come from?

Lurking comes from Middle English lurken, derived from Old Norse lurka, a word of uncertain origin and meaning.

lurking (English): present participle of lurk; The act of one who...

Definitions

  1. present participle of lurk; The act of one who...

Ancestry of “lurking”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlurkTo remain concealed in order to ambush; To remain...
2Middle Englishlurken—
3Old Norselurkato sneak away, go slowly

Words derived from “lurking”

Every word from Old Norse lurka →Every word from Middle English lurken →Every word from English lurk →