down

down · adverb, preposition, adjective, verb, noun¹

1. Old Englishof-
2. Proto-Germanic*dūnaz?
3. Proto-Indo-European*dewh₂-
4. Proto-Indo-European*duh₂-nós?
5. Proto-Celtic*dūnomder.?
6. Proto-West Germanic*dūnā
7. Old Englishdūne
8. Old Englishofdūne
9. Old Englishadūne
10. Old Englishdūne
11. Middle Englishdoun
12. English todaydown

From Middle English doun, doune (“down”), from Old English dūne (“down”), aphetic form of adūne (“down, downward”), from earlier ofdūne (“down”, literally “off the hill”), from of (“of, off of”) + dūn (“hill, mount, dune, down”). More at Etymology 2 below. For the development from directional phrases to prepositions, compare Old Frisian dene (“down”, adverb, literally “(to the) floor”), Middle Low German dāle (“down, downwards”, literally “(in/to the) dale/valley”), whence German Low German dal (“down”). Compare also Saterland Frisian deel (“down”, literally “to/into the dale”), West Frisian del (“down”). Cognate with Scots doon (“down”).

down · noun²

1. Proto-Germanic*dūnaz?
2. Proto-Indo-European*dewh₂-
3. Proto-Indo-European*duh₂-nós?
4. Proto-Celtic*dūnomder.?
5. Proto-West Germanic*dūnā
6. Old Englishdūn
7. Middle Englishdoune
8. English todaydown

From Middle English doune, from Old English dūn, from Proto-West Germanic *dūn (“sandhill, dune”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *dūnaz, *dūnǭ (“pile, heap”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“smoke, haze, dust”). Alternatively, perhaps borrowed from Proto-Celtic *dūnom (“hill; hillfort”) (compare Welsh din (“city, fort, stronghold”), Irish dún (“hill, fort”)), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“to finish, come full circle”). Cognate with West Frisian dún (“dune, sandhill”), Dutch duin (“dune, sandhill”), German Düne (“dune”). More at town; akin to dune. Doublet of Down.

down · noun, verb³

1. Proto-Indo-European*dʰewh₂-
2. Proto-Indo-European*dʰuh₂nós
3. Proto-Germanic*dūnaz
4. Old Norsedúnn
5. Middle Englishdoun
6. English todaydown

From Middle English doun, from Old Norse dúnn, from Proto-Germanic *dūnaz (“down”), which is related to *dauniz (“(pleasant) smell”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰowh₂-nis, from the root *dʰewh₂-. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Duune (“fluff, down”), German Daune (“down”) and Danish dun (“down”).

Down · proper noun⁴

1. Irish · derived fromdún“fortress, stronghold”
2. English todayDown

From Irish dún (“fortress, stronghold”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 16th c. To knock (someone or something) down; to cause to come down; to fell.
• from 16th c. Specifically, to cause (something in the air) to fall to the ground; to bring down (with a missile etc.).
• from 16th c. To lower; to put (something) down.
• from 17th. c. To defeat; to overpower.
• from 18th c. To disparage; to put down.
• from 17th. c. To go or come down; to descend.
• from 19th c. To drink or swallow, especially without stopping before the vessel containing the liquid is empty.
• from 19th c. To render (the ball) dead, typically by touching the ground while in possession.