Where does “strengthening” come from?
Strengthening derives from Middle English strengthenen, from Middle English strengthen plus the Old English verbal suffix -en, ultimately from Proto-Germanic jainaz and Proto-Indo-European i-.
strengthening (English): present participle of strengthen; The process by...
Definitions
- present participle of strengthen; The process by...
Ancestry of “strengthening”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | strengthen | To make strong or stronger; to add strength to;... |
| 2 | Middle English | strengthenen | — |
| 3 | Middle English | strengthen | to strengthen, fortify; to empower, to augment;... |
| 4 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 5 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 6 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |