Where does “darkness” come from?
Darkness comes from Middle English derknesse, from Old English deorcnes, combining Old English deorc with the suffix -nes, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic derk and Proto-Indo-European dʰerg-.
darkness (English): The state of being dark; lack of light; Gloom;...
Definitions
- The state of being dark; lack of light; Gloom;...
Ancestry of “darkness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | derknesse | darkness |
| 2 | Old English | deorcnes | darkness, obscurity |
| 3 | Old English | -nes | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | -nassī | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -inassuz | -ness |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -ī | -ness, -th |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -į̄ | -th |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |