Where does “name-calling” come from?

name-calling (English) comes from English calling, from English -ing, from Old English -ing, from Old English -tūn, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną, from Gaulish dunum — smoke; mist, haze.

name-calling (English): The use of derogatory labels in verbal attacks on a person or other entity

Definitions

  1. The use of derogatory labels in verbal attacks on a person or other entity

Ancestry of “name-calling”, step by step

name-calling traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English calling

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishcallingpresent participle of call; A strong urge to...
2English-ingUsed to form gerunds, a type of verbal nouns,...
3Old English-ingForming nouns from verbs, indicating action,...
4Old English-tūnhomestead, village, town
5Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
6Proto-West Germanictūnfence
7Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
8Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
9Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
10Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

via English ñame

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishñameSynonym of name
2Middle Englishnamename
3Old Englishnamaname; noun
4Proto-West Germanicnamōname
5Proto-Germanicnamôname
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁nómn̥name
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃neh₃-to name

via English name-call

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishname-call
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂-Every word from Proto-Celtic dūnomEvery word from English -ing
name-calling — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer