Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “paddling” come from?

Paddling derives from English paddle, Middle English -ing, Old English -ing, Old English -ing, English spade, Middle English spade, Old English spadu, and Proto-Germanic spadō.

paddling (English): present participle of paddle; The act of using a...

Definitions

  1. present participle of paddle; The act of using a...

Ancestry of “paddling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpaddleA two-handed, single-bladed oar used to propel a...
2Middle Englishpadellsmall spade
3Medieval Latinpadela—
4Middle Englishspaddle—
5EnglishspadeA garden tool with a handle and a flat blade for...
6Italianspadeplural of spada
7Italianspataspathe
8Latinspathaspatula, spattle; spatha; a long, two-edged,...
9Ancient Greekσπάθηany broad blade, of wood or metal
10Proto-Indo-Europeansph₂-dʰ-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sph₂-dʰ- →