Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “linger” come from?

linger (French) comes from French linge, from Old French linge, from Latin līneus, from Latin līnum, from Proto-Italic līnom, from Proto-Indo-European līnom — flax.

linger (French): linenkeeper

Definitions

  1. linenkeeper

Ancestry of “linger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchlingelinen; cloth; laundry
2Old Frenchlinge—
3Latinlīneus—
4Latinlīnum—
5Proto-Italiclīnom—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlīnomflax
Every word from Proto-Indo-European līnom →