Where does “down” come from?

Down derives from Old Norse dúnn, Old English dūn, Proto-Celtic dūnom, Gaulish dunum, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂-, which may be related to Proto-Indo-European h₂epo.

down (English): From a higher position to a lower one; downwards;...

Definitions

  1. From a higher position to a lower one; downwards;...

Ancestry of “down”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdoune—
2Old Englishdūnehill; down, downward
3Old Englishadūne—
4Old Englishofdūneoff the hill; down
5Old Englishdūnhill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain
6Proto-Germanic*dūnā—
7Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “down”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →