Where does “afield” come from?

Afield comes from Middle English afeld, formed from the Middle English prefix a- (from Middle French a-, from Latin ad-, the preposition ad meaning "to," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ád, related to uds- and úd).

afield (English): Away (from the home or starting point, physical or conceptual). Often preceded by far, farther, or further

Definitions

  1. Away (from the home or starting point, physical or conceptual). Often preceded by far, farther, or further

Ancestry of “afield”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishafeldafield
2Old Englishon feldeafield
Every word from Old English on felde →Every word from Middle English afeld →
afield — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer