Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “eau” come from?

eau (English) comes from French EAU, from Middle French eau, from Old French ewe, from Latin aqua, from Proto-Italic akʷā, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ekʷeh₂ — water, flowing water.

Ancestry of “eau”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchEAU—
2Middle Frencheauwater
3Old Frenchewewater
4Latinaquawater
5Proto-Italicakʷāwater
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ekʷeh₂water, flowing water
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ekʷeh₂ →