Where does “Oxbridge” come from?
Oxbridge (English) comes from English Oxford, from Middle English Oxenford, from Old English Oxnaford, from Old English ford, from Proto-West Germanic furdu, from Proto-Germanic furduz, from Proto-Indo-European pértus, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “Oxbridge”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Oxford | A variety of shoe, typically made of heavy... |
| 2 | Middle English | Oxenford | — |
| 3 | Old English | Oxnaford | Oxford |
| 4 | Old English | ford | ford |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | furdu | ford |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | furduz | ford |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pértus | crossing |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
Words derived from “Oxbridge”