Where does “onbekwaam” come from?
onbekwaam (Dutch) comes from Dutch bekwaam, from Middle Dutch bequaem, from Proto-Germanic bikwemaną, from Proto-Germanic bi-, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts — on, onto.
onbekwaam (Dutch): unable, incapable, incompetent
Definitions
- unable, incapable, incompetent
Ancestry of “onbekwaam”, step by step
onbekwaam traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch bekwaam
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | bekwaam | capable, competent |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | bequaem | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | bikwemaną | to come near, come around, come by, arrive; to... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bi- | by, at |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via Dutch on
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | on | rarely used as shorthand for oneven (odd), the prefix on- means not (corresponds to English un-) |