English
understanding
Understanding comes from Old English understanding ‘intelligence, understanding’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *understandingō.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*understandingōreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*undarstandingureconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150understanding‘intelligence’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500understandinge
- Englishearliest quotation 1712understanding
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*understandingōreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*undarstandingureconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150understanding‘intelligence’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500understandinge
- Englishearliest quotation 1712understanding
Earliest quotation: 1712, Joseph Addison, Cato: “The Ways of Heav’n are dark and intricate, Puzzled…”
Formed from understand + -ing
Proto-Germanic *understandaną ‘to stand between’
Proto-West Germanic *understandan ‘to stand between’
Old English understandan ‘to understand’
Middle English understanden
English understand
Every English word from Proto-Germanic *understandingō
Another origin of understanding
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*understandaną‘to stand between, intercede, understand’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*understandandzreconstructedpresent participle of *understandaną
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*undarstandandīreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150understandende
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500understandyng
- Englishtodayunderstanding
Today it means
noun The act of one that understands or comprehends; the mental process of discernment of meaning.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *understandingō / understanding