Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sun” come from?

Sun comes from Old English synn, from Proto-Germanic sunnǭ, from Proto-Indo-European sent-, ultimately derived from the root h₁es- meaning to be.

sun (English): A star, especially when seen as the centre of any...

Definitions

  1. A star, especially when seen as the centre of any...

Ancestry of “sun”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishsunneAlternative form of sonne; sun
2Old Englishsunnesun
3Proto-West Germanicsunnāsun
4Proto-Germanicsunnǭthe sun
5Proto-Indo-Europeansh̥₂uénsun; the Sun
6Proto-Indo-Europeansóh₂wl̥sun

Words derived from “sun”

  • sunglasses
  • sundown
  • sunflower
  • sunlit
  • sunscreen
  • sunless
  • sundial
  • sunfish
  • sunstroke
  • sunspot
  • sunbonnet
  • sunburst
  • sunup
  • suntan
  • sundress
  • sunroom
  • sunblock
  • sunward
  • sunroof
  • sunbathe
  • sundew
  • sunlike
  • sundeck
  • sunrising
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sóh₂wl̥ →