Etymology Map
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Daughter

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means a female child of her parents

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
dohtēr
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"daughter"
cognate with Greek 'thugatēr' and Sanskrit 'duhitṛ'
2
Stage 2 of 3
dohtor
Old English · 700s-1000s
"daughter"
its 'h' was a throat sound, still heard in German 'Tochter'
3
Stage 3 of 3
daughter
English · 1500s
"female child"
the throat sound faded from speech, leaving the silent 'gh'
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Read the full story

Daughter’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: dohtēr meant “daughter.” Cognate with Greek 'thugatēr' and Sanskrit 'duhitṛ'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as dohtor. Its 'h' was a throat sound, still heard in German 'Tochter'. It reached English by 1500s as daughter. The throat sound faded from speech, leaving the silent 'gh'. Today, daughter means a female child of her parents.