ice
Frozen water; a solid formed when water reaches 0°C (32°F).
Etymology
From Old English īs, from Proto-Germanic *īsą. This traces to PIE *h₁eyH- meaning "ice, frost." The word is well attested across Germanic but has fewer clear cognates in other branches, possibly reflecting the northern European focus of the Germanic peoples.
The Journey: *h₁eyH- → ice
*h₁eyH-
*īsą
īs
ice
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *h₁eyH-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Afghan | asai (cold) |
| Avestan | aēxa- (frost) |
| Old Norse | íss |
| Old Frisian | īs |
| Old High German | īs |
Did You Know?
The word "ice" has cognates primarily in Germanic and possibly Iranian. Iceland (Ísland) literally means "ice land." The connection sometimes drawn to "iron" via Proto-Celtic *īsarno- is highly speculative and not widely accepted.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁eyH-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.