English
drone
Drone comes from Middle English drane ‘drone (male bee)’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dʰreh₁n-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰreh₁n-‘bee, drone, hornet’disputed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*drenôreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*drānu‘drone, male bee’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150drān‘male bee, drone’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500drane‘drone (male bee)’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598drone
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰreh₁n-‘bee, drone, hornet’disputed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*drenôreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*drānu‘drone, male bee’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150drān‘male bee, drone’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500drane‘drone (male bee)’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598drone
Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “SHYLOCK: / The patch is kind enough, but a…”
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreh₁n-
Another origin of drone
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰer-‘to roar, hum, drone’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*drunjaną‘to drone, roar, make a sound’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*drunnjanreconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500drounen‘to roar, bellow’
- Englishtodaydrone
Today it means
noun A male hymenopteran (ant, bee, hornet, or wasp), whose sole primary function is to mate with the queen.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰreh₁n- / drone