Dungeon Definition

Origin of Dungeon

• From Middle English dungeon, dungeoun, dungun (“castle keep, prison cell below the castle, dungeon”), from Old French donjon (“castle keep”), from Frankish *dungjo (“prison, dungeon, underground cellar”), from Proto-Germanic *dungijō, *dungijǭ (“enclosed space, vault, bower, treasury”), from Proto-Germanic *dungaz, *dungō (“dung, manure”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰengʰ- (“to cover”). Cognate with Old English dung (“prison, dungeon”), Old Saxon dung (“underground cellar”), Old High German tung ("underground cellar"; > German Tunk (“manure or soil covered basement, underground weaving workshop”)), Old Norse dyngja ("a detached apartment, a lady's bower"; > Icelandic dyngja (“chamber”)). More at dung.

  From Wiktionary

• Middle English donjon castle keep, dungeon from Old French keep probably from Medieval Latin domniō domniōn- the lord's tower from Latin dominus master dem- in Indo-European roots

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

• The game term has been popularized by Dungeons & Dragons.

  From Wiktionary