Where does “burndown” come from?

burndown (English) comes from English down, from Middle English doune, from Old English dūne, from Old English adūne, from Old English ofdūne, from Old English dūn, from Proto-Germanic *dūnā, from Proto-Celtic dūnom — smoke; mist, haze.

burndown (English): The use of a herbicide to destroy existing...

Definitions

  1. The use of a herbicide to destroy existing...

Ancestry of “burndown”, step by step

burndown traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English down

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdownFrom a higher position to a lower one; downwards;...
2Middle Englishdoune
3Old Englishdūnehill; down, downward
4Old Englishadūne
5Old Englishofdūneoff the hill; down
6Old Englishdūnhill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain
7Proto-Germanic*dūnā
8Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
9Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

via English burn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishburnA physical injury caused by heat, cold,...
2Middle EnglishbernenTo burn
3Old EnglishbirnanAlternative form of biernan; to burn
4Proto-West Germanicbrinnanto burn, to be on fire
5Proto-Germanicbrinnanąto burn, to be on fire
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrewh₁-to boil; to brew
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰer-to bear, carry
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂-Every word from Proto-Celtic dūnomEvery word from Proto-Germanic *dūnā
burndown — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer