Where does “dubbelagent” come from?

dubbelagent (Dutch) comes from Dutch agent, from French agent, from Middle French agent, from Latin agēns, from Latin agō, from Proto-Italic agō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éǵeti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- — to drive.

dubbelagent (Dutch): double agent

Definitions

  1. double agent

Ancestry of “dubbelagent”, step by step

dubbelagent traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Dutch agent

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchagenta police officer; an undercover agent; an agent,...
2Frenchagentagent
3Middle Frenchagent
4Latinagēnsdoing, acting, making
5Latinagōto act, to behave
6Proto-Italicagōdrive; push, impel; do, act
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éǵetito be driving
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

via Dutch dubbel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchdubbeldouble, twofold; ambivalent; ambiguous
2Middle Dutchdobbel
3Old Frenchdobledouble
4Latindūplusdouble (twice as much, or as big)
5Proto-Italic*duplosdouble
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-
dubbelagent — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer