Where does “ringen” come from?
ringen (Middle English) comes from Old English hrinġan, from Proto-Germanic hringijaną, 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.
Ancestry of “ringen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | hrinġan | to ring |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | hringijaną | to ring, to sound |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hringaz | ring, circle; curve; sound, ring |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)krengʰ- | to turn, bend |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |