link

link · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*kleng-
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*hlankaz“bendsome, flexible”
3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*hlankiz“ring; bond; fettle; fetter”
4. Old Norse · derived from*hlenkr
5. Old English · inherited fromhlenċe
6. Middle English · inherited fromlinke
7. English todaylink

From Middle English linke, lenke, from a merger of Old English hlenċe, hlenċa (“ring; chainlink”) and Old Norse *hlenkr, hlekkr (“ring; chain”); both from Proto-Germanic *hlankiz (“ring; bond; fettle; fetter”), from Proto-Germanic *hlankaz (“bendsome, flexible”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleng-, *klenk- (“to bend; twist; wind”). Used in English since the 14th century. Related to lank. Cognates Cognate with Low German Lenk (“link”), Danish lænke (“chain; link”), Elfdalian lekk (“link”), Icelandic hlekkur (“link”), Norwegian Bokmål lenke (“chain; link”), Norwegian Nynorsk lenke, lenkje (“chain; link”), Swedish länk (“chain; link”).

link · noun²

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromλύχνος“lamp”
2. Latin · derived fromlynchinus
3. English todaylink

Plausibly a modification of Medieval Latin linchinus (“candle”), an alteration of Latin lynchinus, itself from Ancient Greek λύχνος (lúkhnos, “lamp”).

link · verb³

Unknown.

Words from the same roots