Where does “down-” come from?

down- (Middle English) comes from Old English dūne-, from Old English dūne, from Old English adūne, from Old English ofdūne, from Old English dūn, from Proto-Germanic *dūnā, from Proto-Celtic dūnom, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

Ancestry of “down-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishdūne-down-
2Old Englishdūnehill; down, downward
3Old Englishadūne—
4Old Englishofdūneoff the hill; down
5Old Englishdūnhill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain
6Proto-Germanic*dūnā—
7Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “down-”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →
down- — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer