Etymograph

English

ductus

Ductus comes from Latin ductus ‘leading, conducting’, from Proto-Italic *doukō ‘to lead’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‘to pull, to draw’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-1‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déwkti1‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*doukō1‘to lead’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdūcō1‘to lead, conduct, draw’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEductus2‘leading, conducting’
  6. Englishtodayductus2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin ductus
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English ductus

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-Wiktionary, Latin ductus‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déwktiWiktionary, Latin ductus‘to pull, to draw’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*doukōWiktionary, Latin ductus‘to lead’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdūcōWiktionary, Latin ductus‘to lead, conduct, draw’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEductusWiktionary, English ductus‘leading, conducting’
  6. EnglishtodayductusWiktionary, English ductus

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‘to pull, to draw’

team, touch, tie, toy, introduce, tow, tying, tighten, duchess, tug, herzog, tether, tuck, taut, untie, tew, teem, induct, 93 more

through Proto-Indo-European *déwkti ‘to pull, to draw’

unproductive, productively, preproduction, 92 more

through Proto-Italic *doukō ‘to lead’

producer, productive, productivity, reproduction, reproduce, conductor, byproduct, conduction, overproduction, dukedom, abductor, 95 more

through Latin dūcō ‘to lead, conduct, draw’

education, production, produce, product, reduce, duke, introduction, conduct, reduction, dolphin, educate, conn, induction, educator, douche, induce, doge, deduction, conducive, subdue, seduce, seduction, cond, transducer, redux, duchy, redoubt, deduct, inductive, subduction, transduction, reductive, duc, abduct, dux, duce, ducal, ductile, inductor, adductor, 107 more

Today it means

noun The number of strokes that make up a written letter, and the direction, sequence and speed in which they are written (Compare graph; see also aspect.)

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “ductus”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin ductus. 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 *dewk- / ductus

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