Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “twinning” come from?

Twinning derives from English twin, from Middle English twinne, from Old English twinn, from Proto-Germanic twihnaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dwi- meaning two.

twinning (English): present participle of twin; action of the verb...

Definitions

  1. present participle of twin; action of the verb...

Ancestry of “twinning”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-ingUsed to form gerunds, a type of verbal nouns,...
2Old English-ingForming nouns from verbs, indicating action,...
3Old English-tūn—
4Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
5Proto-West Germanictūnfence
6Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
7Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
8Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
9Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →