Where does “geestdrijver” come from?
geestdrijver (Dutch) comes from Dutch drijven, from Middle Dutch drîven, from Old Dutch drīvan, from Proto-West Germanic drīban, from Proto-Germanic drībaną, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.
geestdrijver (Dutch): a zealot who purports to be guided by a deity, in particular by the Holy Spirit; originally used of Protestant sectaries who insisted on leadership by the Holy Spirit
Definitions
- a zealot who purports to be guided by a deity, in particular by the Holy Spirit; originally used of Protestant sectaries who insisted on leadership by the Holy Spirit
Ancestry of “geestdrijver”, step by step
geestdrijver traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch drijven
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | drijven | to float; to drive, to push |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | drîven | to drive, to push (forward) |
| 3 | Old Dutch | drīvan | to drive |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | drīban | to drive, to push, to compel to go |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | drībaną | to drive, push, compel to go |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰreybʰ- | to drive, push |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
via Dutch geest
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | geest | ghost, spirit; mind, mental conscience; life... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | gêest | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | gēst | — |
| 4 | Old Dutch | gist | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | jestu | fermentation; byproducts or agents of... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | jestuz | fermentation; byproducts or agents of... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | yes- | to foam; to boil |