Where does “afbouwen” come from?

afbouwen (Dutch) comes from Dutch bouwen, from Middle Dutch bouwen, from Old Dutch buwan, from Proto-West Germanic *būan, from Proto-Germanic būaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- — to become, grow, appear.

afbouwen (Dutch): to finish building

Definitions

  1. to finish building

Ancestry of “afbouwen”, step by step

afbouwen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Dutch bouwen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchbouwento build, to construct; to cultivate, to till
2Middle Dutchbouwento build, to found; to till, to work; to inhabit,...
3Old Dutchbuwan—
4Proto-West Germanic*būan—
5Proto-Germanicbūanąto dwell, reside
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰuH-to become, grow, appear

via Dutch af

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchafoff; off, from; finished, done
2Middle Dutchafoff, out, away; of, about
3Old Dutchaf—
4Proto-Germanicabaway from; away
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂epofrom, off, back; off, away; off, from
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- →