Where does “driftwood” come from?
Driftwood comes from Middle English driftwood, composed of drift (from Old English drīfan, to drive) and wood (from Old English wudu, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰer-, to hold or support).
driftwood (English): A floating piece, or pieces, of wood that drifts...
Definitions
- A floating piece, or pieces, of wood that drifts...
Ancestry of “driftwood”, step by step
driftwood traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Wood
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Wood | An English topographic surname for someone who lived in or near a wood |
| 2 | English | Frog | Alternative form of frog |
| 3 | Portuguese | froco | flock |
| 4 | Latin | floccus | tuft, wisp of wool |
| 5 | Frankish | flokko | down, wool, flock |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *flukkô | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | plewk- | to fly, flow, run; to splash, to flap with hands |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | plew- | to fly, flow, run |
via English drift
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | drift | Movement; that which moves or is moved; The act... |
| 2 | Middle English | drift | — |
| 3 | Old English | drift | an act of driving (cattle, herds, etc.); movement |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | driftiz | driving |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰreybʰ- | to drive, push |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |