Where does “downstair” come from?

downstair (English) comes from English Down, from Middle English doun, from Old English dūn, from Proto-Germanic *dūnā, from Proto-Celtic dūnom, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

downstair (English): downstairs

Definitions

  1. downstairs

Ancestry of “downstair”, step by step

downstair traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

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

via English stair

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstairA single step in a staircase; A series of steps;...
2Middle Englishsteirestaircase, stairs; stair, step; ladder
3Old Englishstǣġerstair, staircase
4Proto-Germanicstaigrizscaffold, platform; stairs
5Proto-Indo-Europeansteyǵʰ-to go
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →Every word from Proto-Celtic dūnom →Every word from Proto-Germanic *dūnā →