Where does “blank” come from?

blank (German) comes from Middle High German blanc, from Old High German blanc, from Proto-Germanic blankaz, from Proto-Indo-European bhleg- — to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch.

blank (German): bright; spotlessly clean; shining; polished;...

Definitions

  1. bright; spotlessly clean; shining; polished;...

Ancestry of “blank”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanblanc—
2Old High Germanblancshining, bright
3Proto-Germanicblankazbright, shining, white, gleaming, blinding
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbhleg-to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch

Words derived from “blank”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bhleg- →