Where does “-something” come from?
-something (English) comes from English something, from Middle English somþyng, from Old English sum, from Proto-West Germanic *sum, from Proto-Germanic sumaz, from Proto-Indo-European sem- — together, one.
-something (English): Indicating approximation, as in a range of...
Definitions
- Indicating approximation, as in a range of...
Ancestry of “-something”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | something | An uncertain or unspecified thing; one thing; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | somþyng | — |
| 3 | Old English | sum | some |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *sum | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sumaz | some , a certain; some, certain |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |