English
winsome
Winsome comes from Middle English wynsom ‘beautiful’, from Old English wynsum ‘joyful, merry, pleasant’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- ‘to love’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wenh₁-‘to love’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wénh₁-ih₂ ~ wn̥h₁-yéh₂-sreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wunjō‘joy, delight, pleasure, lust’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*wunnju‘joy’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*wunnjusam‘joyful’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150wynsum‘joyful, merry, pleasant’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500wynsom‘beautiful’
- Englishearliest quotation 1847winsome
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wenh₁-‘to love’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wénh₁-ih₂ ~ wn̥h₁-yéh₂-sreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wunjō‘joy, delight, pleasure, lust’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*wunnju‘joy’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*wunnjusam‘joyful’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150wynsum‘joyful, merry, pleasant’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500wynsom‘beautiful’
- Englishearliest quotation 1847winsome
Earliest quotation: 1847, Emily Brontë: “[…] lifting her winsome eyes to my face with…”
Equivalent to winne ‘delight, joy, pleasure’ + -some
Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- ‘to wish, desire, love’
Proto-Germanic *wunjō ‘joy, desire’
Proto-West Germanic *wunnju ‘joy’
Old English wynn ‘joy, delight, pleasure’
Middle English winne
English winne
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- ‘to love’
won, wonder, wish, wont, venom, venerable, wean, ween, venereal, venerate, 18 more
through Proto-West Germanic *wunnju ‘joy’
Today it means
adj Charming, engaging, winning; inspiring approval and trust, especially if in an innocent manner.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- / winsome