Etymology Map
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Wind

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means air moving naturally across the Earth

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
windaz
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"wind"
cognate with Latin 'ventus', as in 'vent' and 'ventilate'
2
Stage 2 of 3
wind
Old English · 700s-1000s
"wind"
rhymed with 'find' until the 1700s, when its vowel shortened
3
Stage 3 of 3
wind
English · 1500s
"wind"
'window' comes from Old Norse 'vindauga', wind-eye
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Read the full story

Wind’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: windaz meant “wind.” Cognate with Latin 'ventus', as in 'vent' and 'ventilate'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as wind. Rhymed with 'find' until the 1700s, when its vowel shortened. It reached English by 1500s as wind. 'window' comes from Old Norse 'vindauga', wind-eye. Today, wind means air moving naturally across the Earth.