Where does “downcountry” come from?
downcountry (English) comes from English downhill, from English down-, from Middle English down-, from Old English dūne-, from Old English dūne, from Old English adūne, from Old English ofdūne, from Old English dūn — smoke; mist, haze.
downcountry (English): In the lowlands, as opposed to the hilly region
Definitions
- In the lowlands, as opposed to the hilly region
Ancestry of “downcountry”, step by step
downcountry traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English downhill
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | downhill | Down a slope; Located down a slope or hill; Going... |
| 2 | English | down- | decrease; lower position or direction, literally... |
| 3 | Middle English | down- | — |
| 4 | Old English | dūne- | down- |
| 5 | Old English | dūne | hill; down, downward |
| 6 | Old English | adūne | — |
| 7 | Old English | ofdūne | off the hill; down |
| 8 | Old English | dūn | hill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | *dūnā | — |
| 10 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
via English cross-country
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cross-country | From one side of a country to the other; Across... |
| 2 | English | country | An area of land; a district, region; A set region... |
| 3 | Middle English | contre | region, area; A political division, including;... |
| 4 | Old French | contree | country; the countryside |
| 5 | Latin | contrata | lying opposite; spread before |
| 6 | Latin | contra | against; opposite to; contrary to |
| 7 | Latin | rota | wheel; a car, a chariot; the disc of the sun |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | rotā | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | Hróth₂-eh₂ | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreth₂- | to run |