Where does “kerling” come from?
kerling (Old Norse) comes from Old Norse Karl, from Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ, from Proto-Germanic karilaz, from Proto-Germanic karaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- — to grow old, to mature.
kerling (Old Norse): woman, wife; old woman
Ancestry of “kerling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | Karl | — |
| 2 | Proto-Norse | ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | karilaz | free man, franklin; little man, young man |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | karaz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵerh₂- | to grow old, to mature |
Words derived from “kerling”