Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “watershed” come from?

Watershed comes from English water and English shade, from Middle English schade, from Old English sċeadu meaning shadow or protection, and from Proto-Indo-European skÁit- and wódr̥ deriving from wed-.

watershed (English): The topographical boundary dividing two adjacent...

Definitions

  1. The topographical boundary dividing two adjacent...

Ancestry of “watershed”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshedTo part, separate or divide; To part with,...
2EnglishEDInitialism of erectile dysfunction; Initialism of...
3Japaneseエンディングending, especially of a broadcast or performance
4EnglishendingA termination or conclusion; The last part of...
5Middle EnglishendingAlternative form of endyng
6Middle EnglishendyngAn ending, termination, or conclusion;...
7Old Englishendung—
8Old Englishendianto end, make an end of; to finish, complete; to...
9Proto-Germanicandijōnąto end, bring to an end, finish
10Proto-Germanicandijazend
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂entíosfront; forehead
12Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
13Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

Words derived from “watershed”

  • subwatershed
  • watershedding
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →