Etymology Map
Back to all words

Dank

3 stages from Scandinavian to English.

Today it means unpleasantly damp and cold

Where does the word "dank" come from? It comes from Scandinavian dank, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
dank
Scandinavian · medieval
"marsh"
probably Norse; Swedish dialect 'dank' means a marshy spot
2
Stage 2 of 3
danke
Middle English · 1300s
"damp"
wet, damp
3
Stage 3 of 3
dank
English · 1500s
"damp and cold"
its modern slang sense of 'excellent' comes from 2010s internet use
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Dank’s story begins in Scandinavian: dank meant “marsh.” Probably Norse; Swedish dialect 'dank' means a marshy spot. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as danke. Wet, damp. It reached English by 1500s as dank. Its modern slang sense of 'excellent' comes from 2010s internet use. Today, dank means unpleasantly damp and cold.