eau (French)
Where does "eau" come from?
The French word "eau" traces its deep roots back to the Proto-Indo-European term *h₂ekʷeh₂. As it evolved into the Latin "aqua" and subsequently passed through Old and Middle French, it underwent significant phonetic shifts to arrive at its modern form. This widespread lineage connects it to various Romance languages and old Germanic terms for flowing water.
Full etymology tree
- eau (French), 'water, a liquid that is transparent, colorless, odorless, and tasteless in its pure form, the primary constituent of lakes, rivers, seas, and oceans'
- inherited eau (Middle French), 'water'
- inherited ewe (Old French), 'alternative form of iaue (“water”)'
- inherited aqua (Latin), 'water'
- inherited *akʷā (Proto-Italic)
- inherited *h₂ékʷeh₂ (Proto-Indo-European), 'water'
- inherited *akʷā (Proto-Italic)
- inherited aqua (Latin), 'water'
- inherited ewe (Old French), 'alternative form of iaue (“water”)'
- inherited eau (Middle French), 'water'
Ancestors
- ewe (Old French)
- aqua (Latin)
- *h₂ékʷeh₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
Cognates and doublets
- augua (Aragonese)
- apã (Aromanian)
- agua (Asturian)
- eâ (Bourguignon)
- aigua (Catalan)
- aive (Champenois)
- acqua (Corsican)
- âve (Franc-Comtois)
- aghe (Friulian)
- auga (Galician)
- aèv (Gallo)
- åpe (Istro-Romanian)
Descendants and derived words
- dlo (Antillean Creole)
- au fil de l'eau (French)
- bataille d'eau (French)
- boire le vin de l'étrier (French)
- canon à eau (French)
- chasse d'eau (French)
- château d'eau (French)
- chat échaudé craint l'eau froide (French)
- chien d'eau (French)
- chute d'eau (French)
- clair comme de l'eau de roche (French)
- comme deux gouttes d'eau (French)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris