Depth
/dɛpθ/noun
The distance from the top or surface to the bottom of something; the state of being deep.
Did you know?“Depth” comes from the same Proto-Germanic root as “deep,” originally describing how far down something sinks or extends, long before it became a poetic word for hidden meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheub-
“to be deep, hollow, or profound”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*deupaz
“deep”
Old English
Old English
dēop
“deep, profound”
Old English
Old English
dēopu
“depth, the deep place”
Middle English
English
depþe
“depth, deepness”
Modern English
English
depth
“distance from the top or surface to the bottom; profoundness”