Where does “ebb” come from?

Ebb comes from Middle English ebbe, from Old English ebba, from Proto-Germanic abjǭ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂epó meaning "away" or "off."

ebb (English): The receding movement of the tide; A gradual...

Definitions

  1. The receding movement of the tide; A gradual...

Ancestry of “ebb”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishebbeebb, low tide
2Old Englishebbaebb, tide
3Proto-Germanicabjǭebb
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂epóoff, away

Words derived from “ebb”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂epó →Every word from Proto-Germanic abjǭ →Every word from Old English ebba →