Where does “sound” come from?
Sound derives from Middle English sounden, from Old French sonder, from Proto-Germanic gasundaz, ultimately from Latin sonus meaning noise or sound.
sound (English): Healthy; Complete, solid, or secure; Having the...
Definitions
- Healthy; Complete, solid, or secure; Having the...
Ancestry of “sound”, step by step
sound traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English sound
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sound | — |
| 2 | Old English | sund | swimming; sea, water |
| 3 | Old Norse | sund | swimming; strait, sound; swimming, sound |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | sundą | swimming; sound, strait |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | swimmaną | to be unsteady; to swim; float |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | swem(bʰ)- | to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim |
via Middle English isund
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | isund | — |
| 2 | Old English | ġesund | sound, safe, whole, uninjured, healthy,... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | gasund | healthy |
via Middle English sund
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sund | — |