Etymology

unplug

U1N1P3L1U1G2

Today it means: To disconnect from a supply, especially an electrical socket. Full definition →

English plug ← Dutch plug ← Middle Dutch *plugge
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ent-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂énts
  3. Proto-Germanic*anda-
  4. Proto-West Germanic*anda-
  5. Old Englishand-
  6. Old Englishon-
  7. Middle Englishon-
  8. Englishun-
  9. Proto-Germanic*plugjaz
  10. Old Dutch*pluggi
  11. Middle Dutch*plugge
  12. Dutchplugge
  13. Dutchplug
  14. Englishplug
  15. English todayunplug

From un- + plug.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.