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

  1. Having an absolute or relative lack of light;...

Ancestry of “dark”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishderkdark
2Old Englishdeorcdark
3Proto-West Germanicderkdirty; dark
4Proto-Germanicderkaz—
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰerg-o-s—
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰerg-to dim, darken; dim, dull; dark, dusky
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

Words derived from “dark”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰerg- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰerg-o-s →