puddle (English)

Where does "puddle" come from?

The word 'puddle' traces its origins back to the Old English word 'pudd,' meaning a ditch or furrow. It likely emerged from an imitative sound, mirroring the splashing or messy nature of muddy water, before evolving through Middle English into the term we recognize today.

Full etymology tree

• puddle (English), 'A small, often temporary, pool of water, usually on a path or road.'
  • inherited podel (Middle English)
    • derived pudd (Old English), 'ditch, furrow'
      • inherited *puddaz (Proto-Germanic)
        • derived imitative root (Unknown)
    • suffix -el (Middle English), 'Forms adjectives meaning "tending to" or "able to" from verbs.'

Direct ancestors

• pudd (Old English)
• pudeln (German)

Updated July 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris