drunk
/drʌŋk/
adjective
Origin
Old English
drincan — to drink
Overview
Meaning Now
- Affected by alcohol to the extent of losing control of one's faculties or behavior.
- Intoxicated, particularly in a manner characterized by impaired judgment and physical coordination.
Literal older meaning
past participle of drink
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
druncen
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
In Old and Middle English, 'druncen' served primarily as the past participle of 'drink'. Over time, the usage expanded to function as a predicate adjective. By the 16th century, 'drunk' began to displace 'drunken' in attributive positions in common speech, though 'drunken' remains in phrases like 'drunken brawl'.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*drunkiz
“drunk”
- Old English
druncen
“intoxicated”
- Middle English
dronken
“intoxicated”
- Modern English
drunk
“intoxicated”
Standardization of the past participle as an adjective
Connections
Word parts
drunk
root
past participle base of drink
Related across languages
German
trunken
drunk
Dutch
dronken
drunk
Related words
Explore next
Related to drunk
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.