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
- Having an effect that stuns; Exceptionally...
Ancestry of “stunning”, step by step
stunning traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English stun
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stun | To incapacitate; especially by inducing... |
| 2 | Middle English | stonen | Composed or built of stone; To throw stones; To... |
| 3 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 4 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 5 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
via Middle English stunnyng
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stunnyng | — |