Where does “wincing” come from?
Wincing derives from Middle English wincen, from Anglo-Norman wenchir, meaning to flinch or draw back in pain or distress.
wincing (English): present participle of wince; The act by which...
Definitions
- present participle of wince; The act by which...
Ancestry of “wincing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wince | A sudden movement or gesture of shrinking away; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | wyncen | To pull back or flinch |
| 3 | Frankish | wankijan | to sway, falter; to stagger, sway; to wave |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wankijaną | to sway; to sway; waver |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | weng- | to bend, bow, arch, curve; to bow, be bent; to... |