Dust
Old English dūst, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch duist ‘chaff’.
wiktionary
From Middle English dust, doust, from Old English dūst(“dust, dried earth reduced to powder; other dry material reduced to powder”), from the fusion of Proto-Germanic *dustą(“dust”) and *dunstą(“mist, dust, evaporation”), both from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂-(“to smoke, raise dust”). Cognate with Scots dust, dist(“dust”), Dutch duist(“pollen, dust”) and dons(“down, fuzz”), German Dust(“dust”) and Dunst(“haze”), Swedish dust(“dust”), Icelandic dust(“dust”), Latin fūmus(“smoke, steam”). Also related to Swedish dun(“down, fluff”), Icelandic dúnn(“down, fluff”). See down.
etymonline
dust (n.)
"fine, dry particles of earth or other matter so light that they can be raised and carried by the wind," Old English dust, from Proto-Germanic *dunstaz (source also of Old High German tunst "storm, breath," German Dunst "mist, vapor," Danish dyst "milldust," Dutch duist), from PIE *dheu- (1) "dust, smoke, vapor" (source also of Sanskrit dhu- "shake," Latin fumus "smoke").
Meaning "elementary substance of the human body, that to which living matter decays" was in Old English, hence, figuratively, "mortal life." Sense of "a collection of powdered matter in the air" is from 1570s. Dust-cover "protective covering to keep dust off" is by 1852; dust-jacket "detachable paper cover of a book" is from 1927.
To kick up the (or a) dust "cause an uproar" is from 1753, but the figurative use of dust in reference to "confusion, disturbance" is from 1560s, and compare Middle English make powder fly "cause a disturbance or uproar" (mid-15c.). For bite the dust see bite (v.).
dust (v.)
c. 1200, "to rise in the air as dust;" later "to sprinkle with dust" (1590s) and "to rid of dust" (1560s); from dust (n.). Related: Dusted; dusting. Sense of "to kill" is U.S. slang first recorded 1938 (compare bite the dust under dust (n.)).
