English
dike
Dike comes from Old Norse díki ‘ditch’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- ‘to dig’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeygʷ-‘to dig’root as named · steps between not traced
- Old Norsec. 800–1350díki‘ditch’
- Northern Middle Englishmoderndik
- Englishearliest quotation 1994dike
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeygʷ-‘to dig’root as named · steps between not traced
- Old Norsec. 800–1350díki‘ditch’
- Northern Middle Englishmoderndik
- Englishearliest quotation 1994dike
Earliest quotation: 1994, John H. Makin, Norman J. Ornstein: “In 1574, the duke of Alva laid siege to…”
The story
Influenced by Middle Dutch dijc (‘ditch; dam’) and Middle Low German dīk (‘dam’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- ‘to dig’
final, fine, finish, fix, definition, infinite, infinity, finite, dig, fin, ditch, financier, crucify, infinitive, fino, finis, finial, 23 more
through Northern Middle English dik
Today it means
noun —
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- / dike