Where does “downpour” come from?
Downpour comes from Middle English down- combined with Middle English pour, derived from Old English purian, with down- tracing through Old English dūne, adūne, and ofdūne to Proto-Germanic ab meaning away or off.
downpour (English): A heavy rain; To pour down; rain heavily
Definitions
- A heavy rain; To pour down; rain heavily
Ancestry of “downpour”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Down | — |
| 2 | Middle English | doun | down |
| 3 | Old English | dūn | hill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *dūnā | — |
| 5 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |