Etymology Explorer › Scottish Gaelic

Where does “dùn” come from?

dùn (Scottish Gaelic) comes from Old Irish dún, from Proto-Celtic dūnom, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

dùn (Scottish Gaelic): heap, mould; fort, fortress, castle; town

Definitions

  1. heap, mould; fort, fortress, castle; town

Ancestry of “dùn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Irishdúnfort; fortress; Alternative spelling of dúnn
2Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
3Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →