Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “stunning” come from?

Stunning comes from Middle English stunnyng, the present participle of stunnen, meaning to stun or shock.

stunning (English): Having an effect that stuns; Exceptionally...

Definitions

  1. Having an effect that stuns; Exceptionally...

Ancestry of “stunning”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstunTo incapacitate; especially by inducing...
2Middle EnglishstonenComposed or built of stone; To throw stones; To...
3Middle English-enDenotes the past participle form when attached to...
4Old English-enmæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;...
5Old Norse-innUsed to create adjectives from nouns, meaning...
6Proto-Norse-īna-—
7Proto-Germanic-īnaz-en
8Proto-Indo-European-iHnosCreates adjectives of materials
9Proto-Indo-European-no-adjectival suffix

Words derived from “stunning”

  • stunningly
  • stunningness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -no- →