death
/dɛθ/
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*dauþuz — death
Overview
Meaning Now
- The permanent cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism.
- The end or expiration of something, such as an idea, institution, or feeling.
Literal older meaning
the act or state of dying
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
deað
Earliest period
Old English, 8th century
Journey
The word is rooted in the Proto-Germanic nominalization of the verb 'to die'. It follows the pattern of forming abstract nouns from verbs using the suffix *-iþō or *-þuz, similar to 'birth' from 'bear' or 'growth' from 'grow'.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*dauþuz
“death”
- Old English
deað
“death”
Inherited directly from Germanic
- Middle English
deeth
“death”
Shift in spelling during the Middle English period
- Modern English
death
“death”
Standardized modern spelling
Connections
Word parts
dead
root
lifeless
-th
suffix
state or condition
Related across languages
Old Norse
dauði
death
Gothic
dauþus
death
German
Tod
death
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Related to death
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.