Where does “dam break” come from?

dam break (English) comes from English dam, from English damn, from Middle English dampnen, from Old French dampner, from Latin damnō, from Latin damnum, from Proto-Italic dapnom, from Proto-Indo-European dh₂pnóm — to share, divide.

dam break (English): dam failure

Definitions

  1. dam failure

Ancestry of “dam break”, step by step

dam break traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English dam

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdamA structure placed across a flowing body of water...
2EnglishdamnTo condemn to hell; To condemn; to declare...
3Middle Englishdampnento damn
4Old Frenchdampnerto damn
5Latindamnōto discredit, find fault, disapprove, reject
6Latindamnumdamage or injury; loss; a fine
7Proto-Italicdapnom
8Proto-Indo-Europeandh₂pnómexpense, investment
9Proto-Indo-Europeandeh₂p-to sacrifice; to lose
10Proto-Indo-Europeandeh₂-to share, divide

via English break

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbreakTo separate into two or more pieces, to fracture...
2Middle Englishbrekento break
3Old Englishbrecanto break; to break into a place
4Proto-West Germanicbrekanto break
5Proto-Germanicbrekanąto break
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrēǵ-to shine, shimmer
Every word from Proto-Indo-European deh₂-