Where does “ring” come from?
ring (Middle High German) comes from Old High German ring, 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.
Ancestry of “ring”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | ring | ring |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | hring | ring, circle |
| 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 |