Pang
/pæŋ/noun
A sudden, sharp feeling of pain, grief, or hunger.
Did you know?Although it has no occult root, English uses pang for a brief, piercing sensation because the word’s sound imitates a sudden emotional or physical jolt.
Etymological Timeline
Late Old English / Middle English
English
pang
“A sudden stab of pain or distress”
Middle Dutch
Dutch
pange
“Pain, distress”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*pangō / *panga-
“Pain, distress; something that pinches or presses”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂- / *pag-
“To fasten, fix, or prick/press (reconstructed root uncertain in detail)”