Where does “corny” come from?
corny (Middle English) comes from Middle English corn, from Old English corn, from Proto-West Germanic korn, from Proto-Germanic kurną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵr̥h₂nóm, from Proto-Indo-European ǵr̥h₂nós, from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- — to grow old, to mature.
corny (Middle English): fleshy, swollen; malty; tasting of malt;...
Definitions
- fleshy, swollen; malty; tasting of malt;...
Ancestry of “corny”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | corn | Any plant that bears grain, especially wheat; a... |
| 2 | Old English | corn | corn, a grain or seed; a cornlike pimple, a corn... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | korn | corn, grain, cereal |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kurną | corn, grain, cereal |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵr̥h₂nóm | grain |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵr̥h₂nós | matured, grown old |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵerh₂- | to grow old, to mature |