Where does “downriver” come from?
Downriver is a English compound formed from down and river, which derives from Old French riviere, from Latin riparius meaning of or pertaining to a riverbank, itself from riparia.
downriver (English): Closer to the mouth of a river; Travelling in the...
Definitions
- Closer to the mouth of a river; Travelling in the...
Ancestry of “downriver”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | down- | decrease; lower position or direction, literally... |
| 2 | Middle English | down- | — |
| 3 | Old English | dūne- | down- |
| 4 | Old English | dūne | hill; down, downward |
| 5 | Old English | adūne | — |
| 6 | Old English | ofdūne | off the hill; down |
| 7 | Old English | dūn | hill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | *dūnā | — |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |