Etymograph

English

donor

Donor comes from Old French doneur, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- ‘to give’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-1‘to give’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400doneur1
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400donour1
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500donoure1
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1838donor1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English donor
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1838, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Keeping up Appearances. […]: “You prefer, then, having the money to the ornaments…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₃-Wiktionary, English donor‘to give’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400doneurWiktionary, English donor
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400donourWiktionary, English donor
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500donoureWiktionary, English donor
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1838donorWiktionary, English donor. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1838, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Keeping up Appearances. […]: “You prefer, then, having the money to the ornaments…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- ‘to give’

data, date, add, die, addition, rent, delicious, tradition, surrender, dose, vent, render, treason, donation, donate, additive, rendezvous, vendor, rendition, dow, antidote, anecdote, addendum, dowry, condone, dowager, dative, perdition, dacha, endow, dower, dati, sconce, 39 more

Today it means

noun One who makes a donation.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “donor”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- / donor

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