Where does “dark” come from?
Dark comes from Middle English derk, from Old English deorc, from Proto-West Germanic derk, from Proto-Indo-European dʰerg-, a root of uncertain meaning.
dark (English): Having an absolute or relative lack of light;...
Definitions
- Having an absolute or relative lack of light;...
Ancestry of “dark”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | derk | dark |
| 2 | Old English | deorc | dark |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | derk | dirty; dark |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | derkaz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰerg-o-s | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰerg- | to dim, darken; dim, dull; dark, dusky |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
Words derived from “dark”