Where does “hirlyng” come from?
hirlyng (Middle English) comes from Old English hȳrling, from Proto-West Germanic hūʀijuling, from Proto-West Germanic -ling, from Proto-Germanic -lingaz, from Proto-Germanic -ilaz, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.
hirlyng (Middle English): hireling
Definitions
- hireling
Ancestry of “hirlyng”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | hȳrling | hireling, employee |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | hūʀijuling | employee, hireling |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | -ling | Forms noun-derivatives with sense of 'belonging... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -lingaz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ilaz | agent suffix; diminutive suffix |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |