Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “naming” come from?

Naming comes from the English gerund of name, which derives from Middle English name, Old English nama, Proto-Germanic namô, and Proto-Indo-European h₁nómn̥, meaning "name" or "word."

naming (English): The process of giving names to things; A ritual...

Definitions

  1. The process of giving names to things; A ritual...

Ancestry of “naming”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnameAny nounal word or phrase which indicates a...
2Middle EnglishnomeAlternative form of name
3Old EnglishnomaAlternative form of nama
4Old Englishnamaname; noun
5Proto-West Germanicnamōname
6Proto-Germanicnamôname
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁nómn̥name
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃neh₃-to name
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃neh₃- →