wind
Moving air, especially a natural current blowing from a particular direction.
Etymology
From Old English wind, from Proto-Germanic *windaz. This traces to PIE *h₂weh₁- meaning "to blow, to breathe." The same root produced Latin ventus and the English word "weather." The connection to breathing reflects how ancient peoples understood wind as the earth's breath.
The Journey: *h₂weh₁- → wind
*h₂weh₁-nt-
*windaz
wind
wind
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *h₂weh₁-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | áēmi (I blow) |
| Latin | ventus |
| Hittite | huwant- |
| Sanskrit | vā́ta- |
| Old Irish | feth (breeze) |
| Lithuanian | vėjas |
Did You Know?
Latin ventus gave English "ventilate" (to let wind in) and "vent." The same PIE root also produced "window," from Old Norse vindauga — literally "wind-eye."
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂weh₁-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.