Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ringtone” come from?

ringtone (English) comes from English ring, from Middle English ryng, from Old English hring, from Proto-West Germanic hring, from Proto-Germanic hringaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)krengʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

ringtone (English): The sound made by a telephone when ringing; A...

Definitions

  1. The sound made by a telephone when ringing; A...

Ancestry of “ringtone”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishringA solid object in the shape of a circle; A group...
2Middle Englishryng—
3Old Englishhringring
4Proto-West Germanichringring, circle
5Proto-Germanichringazring, circle; curve; sound, ring
6Proto-Indo-European(s)krengʰ-to turn, bend
7Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
8Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

Words derived from “ringtone”

  • ringtone
  • ringtone
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →