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
- From a higher position to a lower one; downwards;...
Ancestry of “down”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | doune | — |
| 2 | Old English | dūne | hill; down, downward |
| 3 | Old English | adūne | — |
| 4 | Old English | ofdūne | off the hill; down |
| 5 | Old English | dūn | hill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *dūnā | — |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
Words derived from “down”