English
fountain
Fountain comes from Old French fontaine, from Late Latin fontana ‘spring, fountain, source’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰenh₂- ‘to flow’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰenh₂-‘to flow’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fontis‘spring, well’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfons‘source, spring’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfontanus‘bearing a relation to the spring or source’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEfontana‘spring, fountain, source’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fontaine
- Englishearliest quotation 1611fountain
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰenh₂-‘to flow’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fontis‘spring, well’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfons‘source, spring’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfontanus‘bearing a relation to the spring or source’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEfontana‘spring, fountain, source’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400fontaine
- Englishearliest quotation 1611fountain
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “A little fountaine became a riuer, and there was…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰenh₂- ‘to flow’
through Latin fons ‘source, spring’
Today it means
noun A natural source of water; a spring.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰenh₂- / fountain