Where does “Ringfinger” come from?
Ringfinger (German) comes from German ring, from Old High German ring, from Proto-West Germanic hring, from Proto-Germanic hringaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)krengʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.
Ringfinger (German): ring finger
Definitions
- ring finger
Ancestry of “Ringfinger”, step by step
Ringfinger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German ring
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | ring | singular imperative of ringen; first-person... |
| 2 | Old High German | ring | ring object in the shape of a circle |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hring | ring, circle |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hringaz | ring, circle; curve; sound, ring |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)krengʰ- | to turn, bend |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |