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 lurkaEvery word from Middle English lurkenEvery word from English lurk