Where does “adown” come from?

Adown derives from Middle English adowne, from Old English adūn, a compound of Old English ofdūne (from of and dūn) and ultimately from Proto-Germanic ab and Proto-Indo-European h₂epo, both meaning "away" or "off."

adown (English): Down, downward; to or in a lower place; Down

Definitions

  1. Down, downward; to or in a lower place; Down

Ancestry of “adown”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishadoundownward
2Old Englishadūndown, downward
3Old Englishofdūneoff the hill; down
4Old Englishdūnhill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain
5Proto-Germanic*dūnā—
6Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →Every word from Proto-Celtic dūnom →Every word from Proto-Germanic *dūnā →