Where does “torchbearing” come from?
torchbearing (English) comes from English bearing, from Middle English beringe, from Middle English beren, from Old English beran, from Proto-West Germanic beran, from Proto-Germanic beraną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.
torchbearing (English): Carrying a torch; Leading a campaign, or giving...
Definitions
- Carrying a torch; Leading a campaign, or giving...
Ancestry of “torchbearing”, step by step
torchbearing traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bearing
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bearing | present participle of bear; That bears; Of a... |
| 2 | Middle English | beringe | bearing |
| 3 | Middle English | beren | carry, bring forth |
| 4 | Old English | beran | to carry, bear; to wear; to sustain, support |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | beran | to carry, to bear |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | beraną | to carry, to bear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |
via English torch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | torch | A stick with a flame on one end, used chiefly as... |
| 2 | French | torcher | to wipe with a cloth to remove dirt; to flare; to... |
| 3 | French | torche | torch; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 4 | Old French | torche | bundle; torch |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | torca | — |
| 6 | Latin | torquis | chaplet |
| 7 | Latin | torqueō | to spin, whirl, twirl, turn, cause to revolve |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | terkʷ- | to turn, spin |