Where does “indoors” come from?
Indoors is a compound of English in and door, which derives from Middle English dore, Old English dora, Proto-Germanic durz, and Proto-Indo-European dʰwer-, meaning to hold or enclose.
indoors (English): In or into a building; The interior of a...
Definitions
- In or into a building; The interior of a...
Ancestry of “indoors”, step by step
indoors traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English doors
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | doors | plural of door; Third-person singular simple... |
| 2 | English | door | A portal of entry into a building, room, or... |
| 3 | Middle English | dore | A door or gate structure barring an entrance |
| 4 | Old English | dora | bumblebee |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | durô | bumblebee, humming insect |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |