Where does “doorknob” come from?
Doorknob comes from English door and knob, with door tracing through Middle English dore and Old English dora to Proto-Germanic durz and Proto-Indo-European dʰwer-.
doorknob (English): A circular device attached to a door, the...
Definitions
- A circular device attached to a door, the...
Ancestry of “doorknob”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | door | A portal of entry into a building, room, or... |
| 2 | Middle English | dore | — |
| 3 | Old English | dora | bumblebee |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | durô | bumblebee, humming insect |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
Words derived from “doorknob”