Where does “afford” come from?
Afford comes from Middle English aforthen, from Middle English ȝeforthien, from Old English ġeforþian, from Proto-Germanic furþōną and furþą, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- meaning to lead or carry forward.
afford (English): To incur, stand, or bear without serious...
Definitions
- To incur, stand, or bear without serious...
Ancestry of “afford”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | afforthen | — |
| 2 | Middle English | iforthen | — |
| 3 | Old English | ġeforþian | to further, accomplish, afford |
| 4 | Old English | forþian | to further, accomplish, afford |
| 5 | Old English | forþon | because, since |
| 6 | Old English | fōr | journey; going, course, journey |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | furi | for; before; forward |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | furi | for, before; before, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
Words derived from “afford”