Where does “drain” come from?

Drain comes from Middle English dreinen, from Old English drēahnian, from Proto-Germanic drauhnōną and draugiz, both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰerǵʰ- and dʰer-, roots associated with holding or grasping.

drain (English): A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an...

Definitions

  1. A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an...

Ancestry of “drain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdreinen—
2Old Englishdrēahnianto drain, strain, filter
3Proto-Germanicdrauhnōnąto strain, sieve
4Proto-Germanicdraugizhard, solid; dry
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰerǵʰ-to strengthen; to strengthen; become hard; to...
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

Words derived from “drain”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰerǵʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic draugiz →