Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “width” come from?

Width derives from Middle English -th, Old English wīd, Proto-Germanic -iþō, and Proto-Indo-European wī-, tracing ultimately to Proto-Indo-European roots dʰeh₁- and dwóh₁.

width (English): The state of being wide; The measurement of the...

Definitions

  1. The state of being wide; The measurement of the...

Ancestry of “width”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwideHaving a large physical extent from side to side;...
2Old Englishwīdwide, vast, broad, long; distant, far
3Proto-Germanicwīdazwide; broad
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁weydʰh₁osset apart, asunder, in two
5Proto-Indo-Europeandwi-two; apart, asunder
6Proto-Indo-Europeandwóh₁two

Words derived from “width”

  • bandwidth
  • linewidth
  • beamwidth
  • widthwise
  • treewidth
  • halfwidth
  • bitwidth
  • pathwidth
  • widthless
  • trackwidth
  • overwidth
  • hairswidth
  • cutwidth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ →