tree
A perennial woody plant with a trunk, branches, and leaves.
Etymology
From Old English trēo(w), from Proto-Germanic *trewą, from PIE *dóru "tree, wood, oak." The PIE word originally meant "tree" in general and "oak" in particular — oaks were the dominant tree of the PIE homeland. The word also meant "firm, strong," reflecting the hardness of oak wood.
The Journey: *dóru → tree
*dóru
*trewą
trēow
tree
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *dóru. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | dóru (spear, wood) |
| Welsh | derwen (oak) |
| Hittite | taru |
| Russian | dérevo |
| Albanian | dru |
| Sanskrit | dā́ru |
Did You Know?
The PIE word for "tree" also meant "firm, loyal" — English "true," "trust," and "truce" all descend from the same root. A "true" person was as solid as an oak.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *dóru. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.