Where does “son” come from?

son (Old Catalan) comes from Latin somnus, from Proto-Italic swepnos, from Proto-Indo-European swépnos, from Proto-Indo-European swopnos, from Proto-Indo-European swep- — to sleep.

Ancestry of “son”, step by step

son traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Latin somnus

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinsomnussleep; drowsiness, slumber sloth, idleness; death
2Proto-Italicswepnos—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanswépnossleep, slumber
4Proto-Indo-Europeanswopnosdream
5Proto-Indo-Europeanswep-to sleep

via Vulgar Latin sum

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vulgar Latinsumto be, exist, have; to be there; to go
2Latinsuushis, her, its, their
3Proto-Italicsowoshis, her, its, their
4Proto-Indo-Europeansewos(one's) own; his, her, its
5Proto-Indo-Europeanswéself

Words derived from “son”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European swep- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European swopnos →Every word from Proto-Indo-European swépnos →