Drawer: English calls it a 'drawer'… | etymologist.ai
drawer
/drɔːɹ/·noun·1580·Established
Origin
Literally 'that which is pulled out' — from 'draw' (to pull). French says 'tiroir' (pull-thing); German, 'Schublade' (push-load).
Definition
A box-shaped storage compartment without a lid, made to slide horizontally in and out of a desk, chest, or other piece of furniture.
The Full Story
English16th centurywell-attested
From 'draw' + '-er' (agent suffix) — literally 'something that draws' or 'something that is drawn out.' 'Draw' comes from OldEnglish 'dragan' (to drag, to pull), from Proto-Germanic *draganą (to draw, to pull, to carry), from PIE *dʰreǵʰ- (to draw, to pull, to drag). A drawer is 'that which is drawn out' — a containeryoupull toward yourself to access its contents. Thesame
Did you know?
Englishcalls it a 'drawer' (something youdraw/pull). French calls it a 'tiroir' (something you pull — from 'tirer'). German calls it a 'Schublade' (a push-load — from 'schieben,' to push). English and French focus on pulling it open; German focuses
a new word. The plural 'drawers' as underwear (by the 17th century) extends the logic: they are 'drawn on' to the body. PIE *dʰreǵʰ- also produced Latin 'trahere' (to drag, to draw) through a different branch, giving English 'tractor,' 'attract,' 'distract,' 'portrait,' and 'abstract' — all from the concept of pulling. Key roots: *dʰreǵʰ- (Proto-Indo-European: "to drag, to pull, to draw").