Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “darby” come from?

darby (English) comes from English Derby, from Middle English Derby, from Old English Dēorbȳ, from Old Norse Djúra-bý, from Old Norse dýr, from Proto-Norse *ᛞᛖᚢᛉᚨ, from Proto-Germanic deuzą, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewsóm — to breathe; breath; spirit, soul > creature.

Ancestry of “darby”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDerbyA type of cheese made in Derby, England
2Middle EnglishDerby—
3Old EnglishDēorbȳ—
4Old NorseDjúra-bý—
5Old Norsedýranimal
6Proto-Norse*ᛞᛖᚢᛉᚨ—
7Proto-Germanicdeuząanimal, beast
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewsómliving thing
9Proto-Indo-Europeandʰéwsbreath
10Proto-Indo-Europeandʰwes-to breathe; breath; spirit, soul > creature

Words derived from “darby”

  • Darbyite
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰwes- →