Where does “worrying” come from?
Worrying derives from Middle English -ing and Old English -ing, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European roots wes-, wer-, and the suffix -yeti.
worrying (English): Inducing worry; present participle of worry; The...
Definitions
- Inducing worry; present participle of worry; The...
Ancestry of “worrying”, step by step
worrying traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English worry
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | worry | To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or... |
| 2 | Middle English | worien | — |
| 3 | Old English | wyrġan | to strangle |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wurgijaną | to strangle |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wargaz | outlaw, criminal; wolf |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | werǵʰ- | bind, squeeze; to bind, squeeze; to turn, twist,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |
via Middle English werying
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | werying | — |