Where does “downhearted” come from?
Downhearted combines English down with Old Norse dúnn, Old English dūn, Proto-Celtic dūnom, Gaulish dunum, and Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr and h₂epo, tracing ultimately to roots meaning hill or elevated place.
downhearted (English): Sad, discouraged, in low spirits, unhappy, having...
Definitions
- Sad, discouraged, in low spirits, unhappy, having...
Ancestry of “downhearted”, step by step
downhearted traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English hearted
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hearted | simple past tense and past participle of heart;... |
| 2 | Middle English | herted | Having a specified disposition, emotion, or... |
| 3 | Middle English | herte | The heart; One's inner self; the mind or... |
| 4 | Old English | heorte | heart |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | hertā | heart |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hertô | heart |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱḗr | heart |