Etymology Explorer › Dutch

Where does “of” come from?

of (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch of, from Old Dutch of, from Proto-Germanic jabai, from Proto-Indo-European ē- — then, at that time.

of (Dutch): or; whether, if; either ... or

Definitions

  1. or; whether, if; either ... or

Ancestry of “of”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchofif, whether; Alternative form of af
2Old Dutchofif, whether
3Proto-Germanicjabaiwhen, if
4Proto-Indo-Europeanē-then, at that time

Words derived from “of”

  • of
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ē- →