Where does “darksome” come from?
Darksome combines English dark and English some, tracing through Old English sum from Proto-Indo-European sem- meaning one or together, and English dark from Proto-Indo-European dʰerg-.
darksome (English): Characterised by darkness; gloomy; obscure
Definitions
- Characterised by darkness; gloomy; obscure
Ancestry of “darksome”, step by step
darksome traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dark
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dark | Having an absolute or relative lack of light;... |
| 2 | Middle English | derk | dark |
| 3 | Old English | deorc | dark |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | derk | dirty; dark |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | derkaz | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰerg-o-s | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰerg- | to dim, darken; dim, dull; dark, dusky |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |