Where does “abroad” come from?
Abroad comes from Middle English abrood, formed from Middle English a- prefix and Middle English brood, ultimately tracing through Middle French a-, Latin ad-, Latin ad, Proto-Indo-European ád, and Proto-Indo-European uds- or úd.
abroad (English): Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign...
Definitions
- Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign...
Ancestry of “abroad”, step by step
abroad traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English A
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | A | The ordinal number first, derived from this... |
| 2 | English | AND | Alternative form of ∧, the conjunction operator;... |
| 3 | Middle English | and | and, and then; however, yet, but, though. while;... |
| 4 | Old English | and | and; even; also |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | andi | in addition, furthermore, and |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énti | opposite; near; in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via Middle English abrood
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | abrood | broadly widely scattered |
| 2 | Middle English | a- | up, out, away; of; on, in |
| 3 | Old English | ā- | a-; away, out |
| 4 | Old English | ar- | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | uʀ- | out, over; off, away |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | uz- | up, out |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | uss- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | uds- | up, out |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | úd | out, outward |
via English broad
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | broad | Wide in extent or scope; Extended, in the sense... |
| 2 | German | braut | inflection of brauen: ## third-person singular... |
| 3 | Middle High German | brūt | concubine |
| 4 | Old High German | brūt | daughter-in-law, bride; bride |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *brūdi | bride |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | brūdiz | bride |