Where does “sting” come from?
Sting comes from Middle English stingen, from Old English stingan, derived from Proto-Indo-European ste(n)gʰ-.
sting (English): A bump left on the skin after having been stung;...
Definitions
- A bump left on the skin after having been stung;...
Ancestry of “sting”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stingen | To impale or gore with a piercing instrument; To... |
| 2 | Old English | stingan | to stab; to sting |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | stinganą | to stick out; protrude; to sting |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ste(n)gʰ- | to stick |
Words derived from “sting”