English
drow
Drow comes from Old Norse draugr ‘malevolent revenant’, from Proto-Germanic *truzlą ‘supernatural being’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dreh₂- ‘to run’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dreh₂-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*truzlą‘supernatural being’reconstructed
- Old Norsec. 800–1350trǫll‘troll, malevolent supernatural being’
- Nornmoderntroll
- Old Norsec. 800–1350draugr‘malevolent revenant’
- Nornmodern*droureconstructed
- Scotsc. 1450–presentdrow
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dreh₂-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*truzlą‘supernatural being’reconstructed
- Old Norsec. 800–1350trǫll‘troll, malevolent supernatural being’
- Nornmoderntroll
- Old Norsec. 800–1350draugr‘malevolent revenant’
- Nornmodern*droureconstructed
- Scotsc. 1450–presentdrow
- Englishtodaysame form
The story
Norwegian drau, modern drov, drauv), alternatively *drog, from Old Norse draugr (‘malevolent revenant’); along the variation trow, intermixed with Norn troll, from Old Norse trǫll (‘troll, malevolent supernatural being’), a partial synonym to draugr.disputed Scholars disagree here; the competing view is quoted as the source gives it. L-vocalisation occurred in the early 15th century in Middle Scots, so trolly, knolls probably became *trowie, knowes around this time.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dreh₂- ‘to run’
through Old Norse trǫll ‘troll, malevolent supernatural being’
through Norn *drou
Today it means
noun “hidden people” (Faroese huldufólk, Norwegian huldrefolk), subterraneans (Norwegian underjordiske, Swedish underjordiska, Gutnish di sma undar jordi), fairies, “troll-folk”, and thereof (Swedish oknytt)
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dreh₂- / drow