Where does “rubbernecker” come from?
rubbernecker (English) comes from English rubberneck, from English neck, from Middle English nekke, from Old English hnecca, from Proto-West Germanic *hnakkō, from Proto-Germanic hnakkô, from Proto-Indo-European knog-, from Proto-Indo-European ken- — to arise, begin.
rubbernecker (English): A person who rubbernecks; someone who cranes...
Definitions
- A person who rubbernecks; someone who cranes...
Ancestry of “rubbernecker”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | rubberneck | Someone who engages in rubbernecking, or turning... |
| 2 | English | neck | The part of the body connecting the head and the... |
| 3 | Middle English | nekke | neck |
| 4 | Old English | hnecca | back of the neck; back of the head; neck |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *hnakkō | nape |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hnakkô | the back of the neck; nape |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | knog- | back of the head, nape, neck |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ken- | to arise, begin |