Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “darkish” come from?

Darkish comes from Middle English -isch, Old English -isċ, Proto-West Germanic -isk, and Proto-Indo-European dʰerg-, meaning to obscure or conceal.

darkish (English): Somewhat dark

Definitions

  1. Somewhat dark

Ancestry of “darkish”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdarkHaving an absolute or relative lack of light;...
2Middle Englishderkdark
3Old Englishdeorcdark
4Proto-West Germanicderkdirty; dark
5Proto-Germanicderkaz—
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰerg-o-s—
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰerg-to dim, darken; dim, dull; dark, dusky
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

Words derived from “darkish”

  • darkishly
  • darkishness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- →