Where does “tearjerking” come from?
tearjerking (English) comes from English tear, from Middle English tear, from Old English teagor, from Proto-West Germanic tah(h)r, from Proto-Germanic tahrą, from Proto-Indo-European dáḱru-, from Proto-Indo-European dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- — eye bitter.
tearjerking (English): Emotionally charged so as to induce sorrow
Definitions
- Emotionally charged so as to induce sorrow
Ancestry of “tearjerking”, step by step
tearjerking traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tear | To rend by holding or restraining in two places... |
| 2 | Middle English | tear | Alternative form of tere |
| 3 | Old English | teagor | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | tah(h)r | tear |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tahrą | tear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dáḱru- | tears; tear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- | eye bitter |
via English jerking
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | jerking | present participle of jerk; A motion that jerks;... |