Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “blinken” come from?

blinken (German) comes from Middle Low German blinken, from Proto-Germanic blinkaną, from Proto-Germanic blīkaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.

blinken (German): to blink; to indicate

Definitions

  1. to blink; to indicate

Ancestry of “blinken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germanblinken—
2Proto-Germanicblinkanąto shine, glitter, twinkle; to blink, wink
3Proto-Germanicblīkanąto gleam; shine
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “blinken”

  • blink
  • blinke
  • blink
  • blinke
  • blinker
  • blinklys
  • blinker
  • blinke
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →