Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “dong” come from?

dong (Middle English) comes from Middle English donge, from Old English dung, from Proto-West Germanic *dungu, from Proto-Germanic dungō, from Proto-Indo-European dʰengʰ- — to cover; to overcast.

dong (Middle English): Alternative form of donge; pit of hell; abyss

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of donge; pit of hell; abyss

Ancestry of “dong”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishdongeFecal matter; dung or feces, especially that of...
2Old Englishdungdungeon, prison; dung, manure
3Proto-West Germanic*dungu—
4Proto-Germanicdungōdung, manure
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰengʰ-to cover; to overcast
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰengʰ- →