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
- A substance used to treat an illness, relieve a...
Ancestry of “drug”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | drogge | medicine |
| 2 | Middle French | drogue | drug |
| 3 | Old French | drogue | — |
| 4 | Old French | drocgue | — |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | drôge | — |
| 6 | Old Dutch | drōgi | dry |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | *draugī | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | draugiz | hard, solid; dry |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰerǵʰ- | to strengthen; to strengthen; become hard; to... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
Words derived from “drug”