Where does “afeard” come from?
Afeard comes from Middle English -ed and Old English -od suffixes attached to Old English ā- prefix and Proto-Indo-European roots -eh₂tos, -tós, and uds-.
afeard (English): afraid
Definitions
- afraid
Ancestry of “afeard”, step by step
afeard traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English afear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | afear | To imbue with fear; to affright, to terrify |
| 2 | Middle English | aferen | to frighten, terrify |
| 3 | Old English | āfǣran | to terrify, dismay |
| 4 | Old English | fǣran | to frighten, raven; to frighten; to devour, raven |
| 5 | Old English | fǣr | sudden attack; sudden danger, calamity, ambush; a... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fērą | danger |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Middle English afered
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | afered | afraid; scared |