Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “window” come from?

Window comes from Middle English windowe, from Old Norse vindauga, combining vindr (wind) and augô (eye), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂weh₁- (to blow).

window (English): An opening, usually covered by one or more panes...

Definitions

  1. An opening, usually covered by one or more panes...

Ancestry of “window”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwindowe—
2Old Norsevindaugawindow
3Old Norsevindrwind; awry; second/third-person singular present...
4Proto-Germanicwindazwind
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂wéh₁n̥tsblowing; that which blows; the wind, air
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂wḗh₁tito blow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂weh₁-to blow

Words derived from “window”

  • windowsill
  • windowpane
  • windowing
  • Windex
  • subwindow
  • winda
  • multiwindow
  • windowlike
  • windore
  • windowful
  • windowlight
  • windowscreen
  • windowy
  • windowfront
  • superwindow
  • windowmaker
  • windowmaking
  • bow window
  • windowable
  • unwindow
  • windoid
  • ウインドー
  • ウィンドウ
  • windo
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂weh₁- →