Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “do” come from?

do (Middle English) comes from Old English dā, from Proto-Germanic *daihā, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁(y)- — to suckle, nurse.

Ancestry of “do”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishdādoe; female deer
2Proto-Germanic*daihā—
3Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁(y)-to suckle, nurse

Words derived from “do”

  • doe
  • ado
  • doeskin
  • doelike
  • doeling
  • at do
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁(y)- →