Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “ring” come from?

ring (German) comes 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.

ring (German): singular imperative of ringen; first-person...

Definitions

  1. singular imperative of ringen; first-person...

Ancestry of “ring”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanringring
2Proto-West Germanichringring, circle
3Proto-Germanichringazring, circle; curve; sound, ring
4Proto-Indo-European(s)krengʰ-to turn, bend
5Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
6Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →