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.
Ancestry of “Down”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | doun | down |
| 2 | Old English | dūn | hill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *dūnā | — |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
Words derived from “Down”