Where does “dearth” come from?
Dearth comes from Middle English derth, Old English dīerþ, Proto-West Germanic diuriþu, Proto-Germanic diuriþō and diurijaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰegʷʰ- meaning to burn or consume.
dearth (English): A period or condition when food is rare and hence...
Definitions
- A period or condition when food is rare and hence...
Ancestry of “dearth”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | derth | A period or condition when food is rare and hence... |
| 2 | Old English | dīerþ | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | diuriþu | dearness, costliness, preciousness |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | diuriþō | dearness, costliness, preciousness; glory, honour |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | diurijaz | dear, precious; expensive |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰegʷʰ- | to burn; warm, hot |
Words derived from “dearth”