Where does “piercing” come from?
piercing (Italian) comes from English piercing, from English pierce, from Middle English perce, from Old French percier, from Latin pertusiāre, from Latin pertūsus, from Latin pertundere, from Latin pertundo — to praise, laud.
piercing (Italian): piercing jewellery worn through a hole in the skin or tongue
Definitions
- piercing jewellery worn through a hole in the skin or tongue
Ancestry of “piercing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | piercing | present participle of pierce; The action of the... |
| 2 | English | pierce | to puncture; to break through; to create a hole... |
| 3 | Middle English | perce | pierce |
| 4 | Old French | percier | to pierce |
| 5 | Latin | pertusiāre | — |
| 6 | Latin | pertūsus | perforated |
| 7 | Latin | pertundere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 8 | Latin | pertundo | I bore through, perforate |
| 9 | Latin | tundo | I beat, strike, buffet; I pound, bruise, crush,... |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | tundō | beat, strike |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tewd- | to push, to hit |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | stew- | to praise, laud |