Deed
/diːd/noun
An act or action, especially one that is significant or deliberate.
Did you know?English deed is related to do, and both ultimately trace back to the same Proto-Indo-European root for “to place/put,” a reminder that language often treats action like something you physically set into the world.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰeh₁-
“to put, set, place”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*dēdiz
“a deed, act, action”
Old English
OE
dǣd
“deed, act, action, exploit”
Middle English
ME
dede
“deed, act, action”
Modern English
English
deed
“an act or action, especially one with legal or moral significance”