English
dene
Dene comes from Middle English dene ‘valley’, and goes back to Old English dene.
- Old Englishc. 450–1150dene‘valley’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘valley’
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Old Englishc. 450–1150dene‘valley’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘valley’
- Englishtodaysame form
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰenh₂- ‘run, flow’
through Proto-West Germanic *dani ‘flat area, floor’
Today it means
noun A valley, especially the deep valley of a stream or rivulet.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old English dene / dene