ash

Where does the word "ash" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic askǭ, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

Ash’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: askǭ meant “ashes.” German 'Asche' is a cousin. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as æsce. The ash tree is a different word, 'æsc', which also named the letter æ. It reached English by 1500s as ash. Ash Wednesday is named for the ashes placed on worshippers' foreheads. Today, ash means the powder left after something burns.

1. Stage 1 · Proto-Germanic · ancient askǭ "ashes", German 'Asche' is a cousin.
2. Stage 2 · Old English · 700s-1000s æsce "ashes", the ash tree is a different word, 'æsc', which also named the letter æ.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s ash "ashes", Ash Wednesday is named for the ashes placed on worshippers' foreheads.