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

  1. 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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishheartedsimple past tense and past participle of heart;...
2Middle EnglishhertedHaving a specified disposition, emotion, or...
3Middle EnglishherteThe heart; One's inner self; the mind or...
4Old Englishheorteheart
5Proto-West Germanichertāheart
6Proto-Germanichertôheart
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱḗrheart

via English Down

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDownusually known as County Down
2Middle Englishdoundown
3Old Englishdūnhill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain
4Proto-Germanic*dūnā—
5Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “downhearted”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱḗr →Every word from Proto-Germanic hertô →Every word from Proto-West Germanic hertā →