Where does “wedding finger” come from?

wedding finger (English) comes from English wedding, from Middle English weddynge, from Old English weddung, from Old English weddian, from Proto-West Germanic waddjōn, from Proto-Germanic wadjōną, from Proto-Germanic wadją, from Proto-Indo-European wedʰ- — to bind, to secure; to pledge, to guarantee; to...

wedding finger (English): The ring finger of the left hand

Definitions

  1. The ring finger of the left hand

Ancestry of “wedding finger”, step by step

wedding finger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English wedding

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishweddingpresent participle of wed; Marriage ceremony;...
2Middle Englishweddyngewedding
3Old Englishweddungbetrothal, espousal
4Old Englishweddianto pledge, to promise; to betroth; to wed, to...
5Proto-West Germanicwaddjōnto wager, to pledge
6Proto-Germanicwadjōnąto wager, to pledge
7Proto-Germanicwadjąwager, stake, pledge
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwedʰ-to bind, to secure; to pledge, to guarantee; to...

via English finger

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfingerA slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb, and the corresponding part, irrespective of including a thumb, in many other animals
2GermanFingerfinger
3Middle High Germanvingerfinger
4Old High Germanfingarfinger
5Proto-West Germanicfingrfinger
6Proto-Germanicfingrazfinger
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpenkʷrós
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wedʰ-Every word from Proto-Germanic wadjąEvery word from Proto-Germanic wadjōną