Where does “whistleblowing” come from?
Whistleblowing derives from English blow combined with English whistle and the English gerundive suffix -ing, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰel- meaning to swell or blow.
whistleblowing (English): The disclosure to the public or to authorities,...
Definitions
- The disclosure to the public or to authorities,...
Ancestry of “whistleblowing”, step by step
whistleblowing traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English blowing
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | blowing | present participle of blow; The act of one who... |
| 2 | Middle English | blowynge | Breathing, respiration the movement of air in and out of the mouth |
| 3 | Middle English | blowen | To blow; to produce a current of air; To... |
| 4 | Old English | blōwan | to bloom, blossom |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | blōan | to bloom, to flower |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | blōaną | to bloom, to flower |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleh₃- | bloom, flower |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |