Where does “deer” come from?
Deer descends from Middle English dere, Old English dēor, Proto-Germanic diurijaz, and Proto-Indo-European roots including dʰegʷʰ-, dʰewsóm, dʰerh₃-, and dʰwes-.
deer (English): a ruminant mammal with antlers and hooves of the...
Definitions
- a ruminant mammal with antlers and hooves of the...
Ancestry of “deer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | der | A wild animal especially a mammal or quadruped |
| 2 | Old English | dēor | animal, beast |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | deuʀ | animal, beast |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | deuzą | animal, beast |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewsóm | living thing |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰéws | breath |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰwes- | to breathe; breath; spirit, soul > creature |