Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ditch” come from?

Ditch comes from Middle English dechen, from Proto-Germanic dīkaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰīgʷ-.

ditch (English): A trench; a long, shallow indentation, as for...

Definitions

  1. A trench; a long, shallow indentation, as for...

Ancestry of “ditch”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdich—
2Old Englishdīċtrench, moat
3Old Englishburnastream
4Proto-West Germanicbrunnōwell, spring
5Proto-Germanicbrunnôsource; wellspring; fountain; brook; stream;...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰréh₁wr̥well, spring, source
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrewh₁-to boil; to brew
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰer-to bear, carry

Words derived from “ditch”

  • dich
  • ditcher
  • ditchwater
  • ditchdigger
  • ditchdigging
  • ditchlike
  • ditchy
  • inditch
  • ditch day
  • ditchable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- →