Where does “dunghill” come from?
Dunghill derives from Middle English dunghill, composed of dung and hill, with hill tracing to Old English hyll, Proto-Germanic hulliz, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European kelH-.
dunghill (English): A heap of dung, especially one for agricultural...
Definitions
- A heap of dung, especially one for agricultural...
Ancestry of “dunghill”, step by step
dunghill traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Hill
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Hill | a surname |
| 2 | Middle English | hil | hill |
| 3 | Old English | hyll | hill |
| 4 | Albanian | hulli | furrow |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hulliz | hill |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kl̥Hnís | hill |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kelH- | to rise, to be tall; hill |
via English dung
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dung | Manure; animal excrement; A type of manure, as... |
| 2 | Middle English | dung | Alternative form of donge |
| 3 | Old English | dung | dungeon, prison; dung, manure |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *dungu | earth, dirt |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | dungō | dung, manure |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰengʰ- | to cover; to overcast |