English
drunk
Drunk comes from Middle English drunke, from Old English druncen ‘drunk’, past participle of drincan, from Proto-Germanic *drinkaną ‘to drink’.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*drinkaną‘to drink’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*drunkanazreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150druncen
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500drunke
- Englishearliest quotation 1611drunk
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*drinkaną‘to drink’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*drunkanazreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150druncen
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500drunke
- Englishearliest quotation 1611drunk
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “I will make mine arrows drunk with blood.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰrenǵ- ‘to draw into one's mouth, sip, gulp’
through Proto-Germanic *drinkaną ‘to drink’
Today it means
adj Intoxicated as a result of excessive alcohol consumption, usually by drinking alcoholic beverages.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *drinkaną / drunk