Where does “cowdung” come from?
cowdung (English) comes from English dung, from Middle English dung, from Old English dung, from Proto-West Germanic *dungu, from Proto-Germanic dungō, from Proto-Indo-European dʰengʰ- — to cover; to overcast.
cowdung (English): The excrement of a cow
Definitions
- The excrement of a cow
Ancestry of “cowdung”, step by step
cowdung traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dung
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dung | Manure; animal excrement; A type of manure, as... |
| 2 | Middle English | dung | Alternative form of donge |
| 3 | Old English | dung | dungeon, prison; dung, manure |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *dungu | earth, dirt |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | dungō | dung, manure |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰengʰ- | to cover; to overcast |