Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Danube” come from?

Danube comes from Middle French Danube, from Old French Danube, from Latin Danubius, from Proto-Celtic Dānowyos, derived from Proto-Celtic Dānu, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰenh₂-.

Ancestry of “Danube”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle FrenchDanube—
2Old FrenchDanube—
3LatinDānubius—
4Proto-CelticDānowyos—
5Proto-CelticDānu—
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰenh₂-to set in motion; to flow

Words derived from “Danube”

  • Danubian
  • Transdanubian
  • Danuban
  • Danubic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰenh₂- →