Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “Danube” come from?

Danube (French) comes from Middle French Danube, from Old French Danube, from Latin Dānubius, from Proto-Celtic Dānowyos, from Proto-Celtic Dānu, from Proto-Indo-European dʰenh₂- — to set in motion; to flow.

Ancestry of “Danube”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle FrenchDanube—
2Old FrenchDanube—
3LatinDānubius—
4Proto-CelticDānowyos—
5Proto-CelticDānu—
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰenh₂-to set in motion; to flow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰenh₂- →