Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “aforethought” come from?

Aforethought comes from English a- (from English and, from Latin ad-, from Latin ad, from Proto-Indo-European h₂epo) combined with English thought.

aforethought (English): Premeditated; planned ahead of time

Definitions

  1. Premeditated; planned ahead of time

Ancestry of “aforethought”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishafore-Previously
2Englishā-—
3Old Englishġe-—
4Proto-West Germanicga-used as an intensifier for verbs, indicating...
5Proto-Germanicga-Indicates association or togetherness; co-;...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
8Middle Englishkyt—
9Germankitt—
10Old High Germankuti—
11Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
12Proto-Germanickweduzresin
13Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
14Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →