English
sing
Sing comes from Middle English singen ‘to produce chants or other sung verse’, from Old English singan ‘to sing’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sengʷʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sengʷʰ-‘to recite’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*singwaną‘to sing’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*singwan‘to sing’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150singan‘to sing’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500singen‘to produce chants or other sung verse’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611sing
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sengʷʰ-‘to recite’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*singwaną‘to sing’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*singwan‘to sing’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150singan‘to sing’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500singen‘to produce chants or other sung verse’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611sing
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “And they sung as it were a new song…”
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *singwaną ‘to sing’
Today it means
verb To produce musical or harmonious sounds with one’s voice.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sengʷʰ- / sing