Where does “win” come from?
win (Old Danish) comes from Old Norse vinr, from Proto-Norse ᚹᛁᚾᛁᛉ, from Proto-Germanic winiz, from Proto-Indo-European wenh₁- — to love.
Ancestry of “win”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | vinr | friend |
| 2 | Proto-Norse | ᚹᛁᚾᛁᛉ | friend |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | winiz | loved one, friend |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wenh₁- | to love |