Where does “Down” come from?

Down derives from Irish dún, from Old Irish dún, from Proto-Celtic dūnom, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- meaning to close or shut.

Down (English): usually known as County Down

Definitions

  1. usually known as County Down

Ancestry of “Down”, step by step

Down traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English doun

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdoundown
2Old Englishdūnhill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain
3Proto-Germanic*dūnā—
4Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

via Irish Dún

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1IrishDúnfort; fortress
2Old Irishdúnfort; fortress; Alternative spelling of dúnn

Words derived from “Down”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →