Where does “ransacker” come from?
ransacker (English) comes from English ransack, from Middle English ransaken, from Old Norse rannsaka, from Proto-Germanic sōkijaną, from Proto-Indo-European séh₂gyeti, from Proto-Indo-European seh₂g- — to seek out.
ransacker (English): One who ransacks
Ancestry of “ransacker”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | ransack | To loot or pillage. "See also" sack; To make a... |
| 2 | Middle English | ransaken | to pillage |
| 3 | Old Norse | rannsaka | to investigate; to ransack |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | sōkijaną | to seek, look for |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | séh₂gyeti | to give a sign |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂g- | to seek out |