Where does “drowsy” come from?
Drowsy comes from Middle English drousen with the suffix -y, from Middle French drouse with -ie, from Latin drowsus with -ia, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning sleepy or sluggish.
drowsy (English): Inclined to drowse; heavy with sleepiness;...
Definitions
- Inclined to drowse; heavy with sleepiness;...
Ancestry of “drowsy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | drowse | To be sleepy and inactive; To nod off; to fall... |
| 2 | Middle English | drousen | — |
| 3 | Old English | drūsan | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | drūsijaną | to look down; mourn |
Words derived from “drowsy”