Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “duckweed” come from?

duckweed (English) comes from English Duck, from Dutch doek, from Middle Dutch doec, from Old Dutch duok, from Proto-West Germanic dōk, from Proto-Germanic dōkaz, from Proto-Indo-European dwōg-.

duckweed (English): Any of several reduced floating aquatic plants in...

Definitions

  1. Any of several reduced floating aquatic plants in...

Ancestry of “duckweed”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDuck—
2Dutchdoekcloth, linen, fabric; a piece of cloth; screen,...
3Middle Dutchdoeccloth
4Old Dutchduok—
5Proto-West Germanicdōk—
6Proto-Germanicdōkazcloth, rag
7Proto-Indo-Europeandwōg-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dwōg- →