Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “download” come from?

Download comes from English down, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂-, meaning to incline or slope, via Old English dūn and Proto-Celtic dūnom.

download (English): A file transfer to the local computer; A file...

Definitions

  1. A file transfer to the local computer; A file...

Ancestry of “download”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishdown-decrease; lower position or direction, literally...
2Middle Englishdown-—
3Old Englishdūne-down-
4Old Englishdūnehill; down, downward
5Old Englishadūne—
6Old Englishofdūneoff the hill; down
7Old Englishdūnhill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain
8Proto-Germanic*dūnā—
9Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
10Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “download”

  • downloadable
  • downloader
  • redownload
  • downloadability
  • nondownloadable
  • download manager
  • download
  • Download
  • downloaden
  • download
  • ダウンロード
  • download
  • downloaden
  • daunloudati
  • downloade
  • 다운로드
  • डाउनलोड
  • การดาวน์โหลด
  • ดาวน์โหลด
  • ddawnlowdja
  • iddawnlowdja
  • ດາວໂຫຼດ
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →