Where does “ring” come from?

ring (Middle English) comes from Old English hring, from Proto-West Germanic hring, from Proto-Germanic hringaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)krengʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

ring (Middle English): ring

Definitions

  1. ring

Ancestry of “ring”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhringring
2Proto-West Germanichringring, circle
3Proto-Germanichringazring, circle; curve; sound, ring
4Proto-Indo-European(s)krengʰ-to turn, bend
5Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
6Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

Words derived from “ring”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →
ring — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer