Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “listenen” come from?

listenen (Middle English) comes from Old English hlysnan, from Proto-Germanic hlusnijaną, from Proto-Germanic hlusēną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱlew-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

Ancestry of “listenen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhlysnanto listen
2Proto-Germanichlusnijaną—
3Proto-Germanichlusēną—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱlew-to hear
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “listenen”

  • listen
  • listening
  • listener
  • listenership
  • listenable
  • listeneth
  • unlistening
  • unlistenable
  • listenest
  • nonlistening
  • relisten
  • listenability
  • nonlistener
  • unlistenably
  • pseudolisten
  • prelisten
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →