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
- An opening, usually covered by one or more panes...
Ancestry of “window”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | windowe | — |
| 2 | Old Norse | vindauga | window |
| 3 | Old Norse | vindr | wind; awry; second/third-person singular present... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | windaz | wind |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wéh₁n̥ts | blowing; that which blows; the wind, air |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wḗh₁ti | to blow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂weh₁- | to blow |