Where does “drone” come from?
drone (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch drān, from Proto-West Germanic drānu, from Proto-Germanic drēnuz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreh₁n-.
drone (Middle Dutch): bee drone
Ancestry of “drone”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | drān | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | drānu | drone, male bee |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | drēnuz | male bee or wasp; drone |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | *dʰreh₁n- | — |
Words derived from “drone”