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Origin and history of ding

ding(v.)

1819, "to sound as metal when struck," possibly abstracted from ding-dong (1550s), which is of imitative origin. The meaning "to deal heavy blows" is c. 1300, probably from Old Norse dengja "to hammer," perhaps also imitative. Meaning "dent" is 1960s. Related: Dinged; dinging.

also from 1819

Entries linking to ding

ding-a-ling(n.)

"one who is crazy," 1940, from earlier adjective (1935), from noun meaning "the sound of little bells" (1894), ultimately imitative of the tinkling sound (by 1848; see ding (v.)). The extended senses are from the notion of hearing bells in the head.

dinger(n.)

"something superlative," 1809, American English, agent noun from ding (v.). Baseball sense of "a home run" is by 1984.

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    nick
    "notch, groove, slit," mid-15c., nik, nyke, a word of unknown origin, possibly from a variant of Old French niche (see niche). Nick of time is attested by 1640s (nick of opportunity is 1610s), possibly from an old custom of recording time as it passed by making notches on a tally
    thing
    thing "assembly, council, suit, matter, thing," Middle Dutch dinc "court-day, suit, plea, concern, affair, thing," Dutch ding..."thing," Old High German ding "public assembly for judgment and business, lawsuit," German Ding "affair, matter, thing,"...
    wingnut
    probably not from the literal sense but from the secondary sense of nut, influenced perhaps by slang senses of wing in wing-ding...
    Tuesday
    In cognate German Dienstag and Dutch Dinsdag, the first element would appear to be Germanic ding, þing "public assembly,"...
    sound
    "noise, what is heard, sensation produced through the ear," late 13c., soun, from Old French son "sound, musical note, voice," from Latin sonus "sound, a noise," from PIE *swon-o-, from root *swen- "to sound." The unetymological -d was established c. 1350-1550 (see D). Sound-boar
    grin
    Old English grennian "show the teeth" (in pain or anger), common Germanic (cognates: Old Norse grenja "to howl," grina "to grin;" Dutch grienen "to whine;" German greinen "to cry"), from PIE root *ghrei- "be open." Sense of "bare the teeth in a broad smile" is late 15c., perhaps
    ring
    [circular band] Old English hring "circlet of metal, especially one of a precious metal for wearing on the finger ornamentally, also a part of a mail coat; anything circular," from Proto-Germanic *hringaz "something curved, circle" (source also of Old Norse hringr, Old Frisian hr
    ram
    Old English ramm "male sheep," also "battering ram, instrument for crushing or driving by impact," and the zodiac sign; earlier rom "male sheep," a West Germanic word (cognates: Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, Dutch, Old High German ram), of unknown origin. Perhaps [Klein] conne
    mar
    Middle English merren "to deface, disfigure; impair in form or substance" (early 13c.), from Old English merran (Anglian), mierran (West Saxon) "to waste, spoil," from Proto-Germanic *marzjan (source also of Old Frisian meria, Old High German marren "to hinder, obstruct," Gothic
    arm
    [upper limb of the human body], Middle English arm, from Old English earm, from Proto-Germanic *armaz (source also of Old Saxon, Danish, Swedish, Middle Dutch, German arm, Old Norse armr, Old Frisian erm), from PIE root *ar- "to fit together" (source also of Sanskrit irmah "arm,"

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