Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “drunk” come from?

Drunk comes from Middle English drunken, Old English drincan, Proto-Germanic drunkiz, and Proto-Indo-European dʰrenǵ-, ultimately from the root dʰreg-.

drunk (English): Intoxicated as a result of excessive alcohol...

Definitions

  1. Intoxicated as a result of excessive alcohol...

Ancestry of “drunk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdrunke—
2Old Englishdruncenpast participle of drincan; drunk; a drunk
3Proto-Germanicdrunkanazdrunken; drunk; intoxicated
4Proto-Germanicdrinkanąto drink
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰrenǵ-to draw into one's mouth, sip, gulp; to pull;...

Words derived from “drunk”

  • undrunk
  • drunkness
  • semidrunk
  • drunkish
  • drunkometer
  • drunkalogue
  • drunklike
  • Drunksville
  • taṟangka
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰrenǵ- →