Where does “hringfinger” come from?

hringfinger (Old 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.

hringfinger (Old English): ring finger

Definitions

  1. ring finger

Ancestry of “hringfinger”, step by step

hringfinger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English hring

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

via Old English finger

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfingerfinger
2Proto-West Germanicfingrfinger
3Proto-Germanicfingrazfinger
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpenkʷrós—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)krengʰ- →