Where does “dash” come from?
Dash comes from Middle English daschen, from Danish daske, though the original meaning is uncertain.
dash (English): Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar)
Definitions
- Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar)
Ancestry of “dash”, step by step
dash traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English daschen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | daschen | To hit with a weapon and cause damage; to land a... |
| 2 | Danish | daske | to slap, strike |
| 3 | Serbo-Croatian | dàska | board, plank |
| 4 | Proto-Slavic | dъska | board, plank |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | diskuz | table; dish; bowl |
| 6 | Latin | discus | a discus, quoit; a dish shaped like a discus;... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | diskō | learn |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | dikskō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | di-dḱ-ské-ti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱ- | take; perceive |
via Old English æsċ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | æsċ | ash tree; ash, spear, lance, ship |
| 2 | Old English | trēo | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | treu | tree; wood |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | trewą | tree |
| 5 | English | doru | Alternative form of dory |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | δόρυ | wood, tree, stem; spear shaft, spear, lance,... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | dóru | tree |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dóru | tree |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | drew- | hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree |