Etymograph

English

ox

Ox comes from Proto-Indo-European *uksḗn ‘bull’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*uksḗn‘bull’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*uhsôreconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*ohsōreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150oxa
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500oxe
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1934ox

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*uksḗn‘bull’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*uhsôreconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*ohsōreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150oxa
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500oxe
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1934ox

Earliest quotation: 1934, commentary on the Qur'an: “Here the same four kinds are mentioned ... These…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂weks- ‘to become strong’

waist, wax, auxin, 8 more

through Old English oxa

oxen, 1 more

Today it means

noun An adult castrated male of cattle (B. taurus), especially when used as a beast of burden.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *uksḗn / ox

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