window

Etymology

Recorded from c. 1200 as windou.^[1] From Middle English windowe,^[2][3] borrowed from Old Norse vindauga, literally “wind eye”,^[1][4] from vindr “wind” + auga “eye”.^[5][6]

It replaced Old English ēagþyrel “eye-hole” and ēagduru “eye-door”,^[1][6] while the French-derived fenester remained in use until the 16th century.^[1][6] Windows were originally unglazed holes in the wall or roof.^[1][4] Compare wind and eye.^[6]

References

1. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
2. [1] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
3. [1] Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
4. [1] [2] Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
5. [1] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Boston: Houghton Mifflin
6. [1] [2] [3] [4] Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press