Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ashcan” come from?

ashcan (English) comes from English Ash, from Middle English asshe, from Old English æsc, from Old English æsċ, from Old English trēo, from Proto-West Germanic treu, from Proto-Germanic trewą, from English doru — hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree.

ashcan (English): A container for ashes, used in times past for...

Definitions

  1. A container for ashes, used in times past for...

Ancestry of “ashcan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishAsh—
2Middle Englishassheashes; The remnants of a lifeform; The matter...
3Old Englishæscash tree; spear; ship
4Old Englishæsċash tree; ash, spear, lance, ship
5Old Englishtrēo—
6Proto-West Germanictreutree; wood
7Proto-Germanictrewątree
8EnglishdoruAlternative form of dory
9Ancient Greekδόρυwood, tree, stem; spear shaft, spear, lance,...
10Proto-Hellenicdórutree
11Proto-Indo-Europeandórutree
12Proto-Indo-Europeandrew-hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree
Every word from Proto-Indo-European drew- →