Where does “dead” come from?
Dead comes from Middle English ded, from Old English dēad, from Proto-Germanic daudaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰowHtós, meaning "deprived of life."
dead (English): No longer living; Devoid of life; Figuratively,...
Definitions
- No longer living; Devoid of life; Figuratively,...
Ancestry of “dead”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 2 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 3 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 4 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 5 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |