prong

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)preng-“to wrap up, constrict”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*pranganą“to press”
3. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*prangan
4. Old Saxon · derived from*prangan
5. Middle Low German · derived fromprange“stick, restraining device”
6. Middle English · derived frompronge
7. English todayprong

From Middle English pronge, perhaps from Middle Low German prange (“stick, restraining device”), from prangen (“to press, pinch”), from Old Saxon *prangan, from Proto-West Germanic *prangan, from Proto-Germanic *pranganą (“to press”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)preng- (“to wrap up, constrict”). Akin to Lithuanian spriñgti (“to choke, become choked or obstructed”), Latvian sprañgât (“cord, constrict”), Ancient Greek σπαργανόω (sparganóō, “to swaddle”), σπάργανον (spárganon, “swaddling cloth”). See also prank, prance, prink.

Words from the same roots