tree
/triː/
noun
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*drew- — tree; wood
Overview
Meaning Now
- A woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk growing to a considerable height and bearing lateral branches at some distance from the ground.
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Modern English
Earliest form
trēow
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word stems from a Proto-Indo-European root that also produced the Greek 'drys' (oak) and 'dendron' (tree), highlighting the deep association between the concepts of 'tree', 'wood', and 'firmness/strength' in early Indo-European cultures.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*drew-
“tree; wood; firm”
- Proto-Germanic
*trewą
“tree”
- Old English
trēow
“tree, wood, timber, forest”
- Middle English
tre
“tree, wood”
Connections
Word parts
tree
root
woody perennial plant
Related across languages
Old Norse
tré
tree
Gothic
triu
tree
Greek
drys
oak/tree
Explore next
Related to tree
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.