Etymology Map
Back to all words

Dike

2 stages from Middle Dutch to English.

Today it means a long wall or embankment built to keep out the sea or river floods

Where does the word "dike" come from? It comes from Middle Dutch dijk, adopted directly into English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
dijk
Middle Dutch · medieval
"embankment"
the same Germanic root as English 'ditch'; one side dug a ditch, the other piled a bank
2
Stage 2 of 2
dike
English · 1600s
"a sea wall or embankment"
reinforced by Dutch drainage engineers working in eastern England
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Dike’s story begins in Middle Dutch: dijk meant “embankment.” The same Germanic root as English 'ditch'; one side dug a ditch, the other piled a bank. It reached English by 1600s as dike. Reinforced by Dutch drainage engineers working in eastern England. Today, dike means a long wall or embankment built to keep out the sea or river floods.