Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “turf” come from?

turf (French) comes from English turf, from Middle English turf, from Old English turf, from Proto-West Germanic turb, from Proto-Germanic turbz, from Proto-Indo-European dorbh- — tuft, grass.

Ancestry of “turf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishturfA layer of earth covered with grass; sod; A piece...
2Middle Englishturf—
3Old Englishturfturf
4Proto-West Germanicturbturf, peat
5Proto-Germanicturbzturf, peat
6Proto-Indo-Europeandorbh-tuft, grass

Words derived from “turf”

  • turfiste
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dorbh- →