Where does “duh” come from?
duh (Serbo-Croatian) comes from Proto-Slavic duxъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic daušás, from Proto-Indo-European dʰews-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰew- — to die, pass away; to run, flow.
duh (Serbo-Croatian): ghost, spirit; spirit
Ancestry of “duh”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Slavic | duxъ | breath; whiff; smell, odor |
| 2 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | daušás | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰews- | Alternative form of *dʰwes-; to lose one's... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰew- | to die, pass away; to run, flow |