*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of donor

From Middle English donoure, donour; from Anglo-Norman donour, from Old French doneur (See French donneur).

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

One who makes a donation. · An object, typically broken beyond repair, that is used for spare parts. · A group or molecule that donates either a radical, electrons or a moiety in a chemical reaction. Compare acceptor.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English donoure, donour; from Anglo-Norman donour, from Old French doneur (See French donneur).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*deh₃-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "donoure"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English donoure"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "donour"
      },
      "expansion": "Anglo-Norman donour"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "doneur"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French doneur"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "donneur"
      },
      "expansion": "French donneur"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "donoure",
      "donoure#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "donour",
      "donour#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "donour",
      "donour#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "doneur",
      "doneur#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "donneur",
      "donneur#French"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Tok Pisin",
      "lang_code": "tpi",
      "word": "dona"
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "One who makes a donation.",
        "An object, typically broken beyond repair, that is used for spare parts.",
        "A group or molecule that donates either a radical, electrons or a moiety in a chemical reaction. Compare acceptor."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "8e78f5ab3939d274f3bd5fab656a2d1d948127946230b1afa9f0b78e665a0b40",
      "rawRecordSha256": "cbacc0810078c3e4d01b6cfeab4cfb9efe520ca540230c0558d4a7e0420620d5",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 354717
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for donor →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZG9ub3I