Where does “Downs” come from?
Downs (English) comes from Middle English doun, from Old English dūn, from Proto-Germanic *dūnā, from Proto-Celtic dūnom, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.
Ancestry of “Downs”, 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 “Downs”