Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ransackled” come from?

ransackled (English) comes from English ransackle, 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.

ransackled (English): simple past tense and past participle of...

Definitions

  1. simple past tense and past participle of...

Ancestry of “ransackled”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishransackleTo ransack; Alternative form of ramshackle
2Middle Englishransakento pillage
3Old Norserannsakato investigate; to ransack
4Proto-Germanicsōkijanąto seek, look for
5Proto-Indo-Europeanséh₂gyetito give a sign
6Proto-Indo-Europeanseh₂g-to seek out

Words derived from “ransackled”

  • ramshackle
  • ramshackleness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European seh₂g- →