Where does “drug” come from?

Drug comes from Middle English drogge, from Middle French drogue, from Middle Dutch droge, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰerǵʰ-, meaning to hold or grasp.

drug (English): A substance used to treat an illness, relieve a...

Definitions

  1. A substance used to treat an illness, relieve a...

Ancestry of “drug”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdroggemedicine
2Middle Frenchdroguedrug
3Old Frenchdrogue—
4Old Frenchdrocgue—
5Middle Dutchdrôgedry
6Old Dutchdrōgidry
7Proto-West Germanic*draugīdry
8Proto-Germanicdraugizhard, solid; dry
9Proto-Indo-Europeandʰerǵʰ-to strengthen; to strengthen; become hard; to...
10Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

Words derived from “drug”

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