Where does “link” come from?

link (Middle English) comes from Old English hlinc, from Proto-West Germanic hlink, from Proto-Germanic hlinkaz, from Proto-Indo-European kleng- — to turn, bend; to bend, turn, wind, twist.

Ancestry of “link”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhlinchill, rising ground, slope; a bank separating...
2Proto-West Germanichlink—
3Proto-Germanichlinkaz—
4Proto-Indo-Europeankleng-to turn, bend; to bend, turn, wind, twist
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kleng- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hlinkaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic hlink →
link — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer