Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “running” come from?

Running comes from Middle English rinnen, Old English rinnan, and Proto-Germanic rinnaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃er- meaning to move or flow.

running (English): Moving or advancing at a run; Present, current;...

Definitions

  1. Moving or advancing at a run; Present, current;...

Ancestry of “running”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrunTo move swiftly; To flow; To sail before the...
2English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
3Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
4Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
5Latin-āre—
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
10Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “running”

  • gunrunning
  • baserunning
  • freerunning
  • nonrunning
  • rumrunning
  • inrunning
  • ultrarunning
  • bookrunning
  • byrunning
  • fellrunning
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