Where does “lyn” come from?
lyn (Middle English) comes from Middle English lyne, from Old English līne, from Proto-West Germanic *līnā, from Proto-Germanic līnǭ, from Proto-Germanic līną, from Proto-Indo-European līno- — flax.
lyn (Middle English): Alternative form of lyne; Alternative form of...
Definitions
- Alternative form of lyne; Alternative form of...
Ancestry of “lyn”, step by step
lyn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English lyne
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lyne | A plant of the genus "Linum", especially "Linum... |
| 2 | Old English | līne | line, rope, cord; line, cable, rope, hawser,... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *līnā | line, chord, rope, string |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | līnǭ | that which is made of flax; line, chord, rope,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | līną | flax |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | līno- | flax |
via Middle English lynde
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lynde | Any of a number of trees of the genus "Tilia";... |
| 2 | Old English | lind | lime, linden; shield |
| 3 | Old English | wudu | wood; forest, woods; tree |
| 4 | Old English | widu | wood, forest, grove; tree; timber |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | widuz | wood |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | widʰu- | forest, wood; tree, beam |