spurning (Icelandic)
Where does "spurning" come from?
The Icelandic word 'spurning' originates from the root 'spurn', which refers to asking or inquiring. By appending the suffix '-ing', a tool for turning verbs into nouns that traces back to Old Norse and Proto-Germanic, it evolves into the noun meaning a 'question.' Essentially, the word encapsulates the act of inquiry through its historical connection to the verb 'spyrja', meaning to ask.
Full etymology tree
- spurning (Icelandic), 'question'
- compound spurn (Icelandic), '"asking", news (used in set phrases)'
- inherited spyrja (Old Norse), 'to trace steps or footprints'
- suffix -ing (Old Norse), 'forms gerund nouns from verbs'
- inherited *-ingō (Proto-Germanic)
- inherited *-ungō (Proto-Germanic), '-ing, -ion; forms gerund nouns from verbs.'
- compound spurn (Icelandic), '"asking", news (used in set phrases)'
Ancestors
- spurn (Icelandic)
- -ing (Icelandic)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris