Where does “water” come from?
Water comes from Old English wæter, from Proto-West Germanic watar, from Proto-Germanic watōr, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wódr̥ derived from the root wed- meaning to flow or wet.
water (English): A substance found at room temperature and...
Definitions
- A substance found at room temperature and...
Ancestry of “water”, step by step
water traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English water
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | water | water; water vapour, condensation; lake, pond,... |
| 2 | Old English | wæter | water |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | watar | water |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | watōr | water |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wódr̥ | water |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wed- | water |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wey- | to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;... |