Where does “yew” come from?
Yew comes from Middle English ew, Old English ēow, Proto-Germanic īhwaz, and Proto-Indo-European h₁eyHweh₂, ultimately descending from Proto-Indo-European túh₂.
yew (English): A species of coniferous tree, "Taxus baccata",...
Definitions
- A species of coniferous tree, "Taxus baccata",...
Ancestry of “yew”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ew | yew; yew wood |
| 2 | Old English | īw | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | īwaz | yew |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | īwō | yew |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *h₁eyHw- | — |