window (English)

Where does "window" come from?

The English word window comes from Middle English 'wyndowe', which was borrowed from Old Norse 'vindauga'[1][3]. The Old Norse term literally translates to 'wind-eye' or 'wind-hole'[1], combining 'vindr' meaning 'wind'[2] and 'auga' meaning 'eye'[2][3]. These elements trace back through Proto-Germanic forms like '*windaz'[5] and '*augô'[6], ultimately descending from the Proto-Indo-European roots '*h₂weh₁-' meaning 'to blow'[5] and '*h₃ekʷ-' meaning 'eye; to see'[4]. This Norse borrowing displaced the native Old English 'ēagþȳrel', meaning 'eye hole'[1], reflecting early Germanic structures where openings in walls permitted both light and wind to pass through[1].

Open questions

• The Proto-Germanic form '*augô' may have introduced its diphthong analogically from '*auzô', or alternatively through metathesis from earlier '*agwô'. [6]

Full etymology tree

• window (English), 'An opening, usually covered by one or more panes of clear glass, to allow light and air from outside to enter a building or vehicle.'
  • inherited wyndowe (Middle English), 'A window (opening for light in a wall)'
    • borrowed vindauga (Old Norse), 'window'
      • compound vindr (Old Norse), 'wind'
        • inherited *windaz (Proto-Germanic), 'wind'
          • inherited *h₂wéh₁n̥ts (Proto-Indo-European), 'blowing'
      • compound auga (Old Norse), 'eye'
        • inherited *ᚨᚢᚷᛟ (*augo) (Proto-Norse), 'eye'
          • inherited *augô (Proto-Germanic), 'eye'
            • inherited *h₃ekʷ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to see'

Ancestors

• *h₂weh₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
• wyndowe (Middle English)
• vindauga (Old Norse)

Cognates and doublets

• vindue (Danish)
• vindeyga (Faroese)
• vindu (Norwegian Bokmål)
• vindauge (Norwegian Nynorsk)
• windae (Scots)
• vindöga (Swedish)

Descendants and derived words

• anabolic window (English)
• awning window (English)
• bay window (English)
• boob window (English)
• bow window (English)
• broken window (English)
• broken windows theory (English)
• cabinet window (English)
• casement window (English)
• cochlear window (English)
• compass window (English)
• dialog window (English)

Related words

• door (English)
• glass (English)

Sources

1. window (English) - Wiktionary
2. vindauga (Old Norse) - Wiktionary
3. wyndowe (Middle English) - Wiktionary
4. auga (Old Norse) - Wiktionary
5. vindr (Old Norse) - Wiktionary
6. augô (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
7. windaz (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
8. h₂wéh₁n̥ts (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
9. ᚨᚢᚷᛟ (*augo) (Proto-Norse) - Wiktionary
10. -ô (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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