Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “wincian” come from?

wincian (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic winkōn, from Proto-West Germanic -ōn, from Proto-Germanic -ōną, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti, from Proto-Indo-European yé-, from Chichewa iye — he, she.

wincian (Old English): to close the eyes; blink; to wink; make a sign;...

Definitions

  1. to close the eyes; blink; to wink; make a sign;...

Ancestry of “wincian”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicwinkōnto blink, wink, close one's eyes; to wave, nod
2Proto-West Germanic-ōnCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
3Proto-Germanic-ōnąCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
4Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
5Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
7Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Chichewa iye →