Where does “worldling” come from?
Worldling derives from Middle English -ling, Old English -ling and -a, Proto-Germanic weraz meaning man, and Proto-Indo-European wiHrós and h₂el- meaning to grow or nourish.
worldling (English): A mundane person, preoccupied with worldly...
Definitions
- A mundane person, preoccupied with worldly...
Ancestry of “worldling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | World | The specific world, or any of several specific constituent worlds, that humans live in, among any other (real or possible) worlds |
| 2 | Middle English | world | The world, the planet; A dimension, realm, or... |
| 3 | Old English | weorold | world |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | weraldi | world |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | weraldiz | lifetime, worldly existence; mankind; world |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | weraz | man; husband |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |