dank
/dæŋk/
adjective
Origin
Old Norse
dank- — moist, damp
Overview
Meaning Now
- Disagreeably damp, cold, and musty.
Literal older meaning
humid or moist in an unpleasantly cool way
Language path
Old Norse → Middle English → Modern English
Earliest form
dank
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term likely entered English through Scandinavian contact in Northern England, retaining its core sense of dampness while developing a pejorative connotation in modern usage.
Evolution
- 14th Century
dank
“moist, wet”
Introduced into English as a term for dampness, possibly via the Danelaw.
- Modern English
dank
“unpleasantly damp and cold”
Shifted to specify an unpleasant quality of moisture.
Connections
Word parts
dank
root
damp, moist
Related across languages
Swedish
damp ground
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Related to dank
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.