Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ox” come from?

Ox comes from Middle English oxe, from Old English oxa, from Proto-Germanic uhsô, from Proto-Indo-European uksḗn, a derivative of the root h₂ug-s-ḗn referring to a draft animal.

ox (English): An adult castrated male of cattle; Any bovine...

Definitions

  1. An adult castrated male of cattle; Any bovine...

Ancestry of “ox”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanOchseox
2Middle High Germanohse—
3Old High Germanohsoox
4Proto-West Germanicohsōox
5Proto-Germanicuhsôox
6Proto-Indo-Europeanuksḗnbull
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ug-s-ḗn—

Words derived from “ox”

  • oxen
  • oxbow
  • oxcart
  • oxhide
  • oxblood
  • oxeye
  • oxlike
  • oxpecker
  • oxgoad
  • oxtongue
  • oxeyed
  • oxheart
  • oxhead
  • oxbird
  • oxless
  • oxskin
  • oxish
  • oxishly
  • oxbane
  • oxfly
  • oxling
  • ox-butt
  • oxshoe
  • oxland
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ug-s-ḗn →