Where does “ant” come from?
ant (English) comes from Middle English ampte, from Old English ǣmete, from Proto-West Germanic āmaitijā, from Proto-West Germanic uʀ-, from Proto-Germanic uz-, from Proto-Indo-European uss-, from Proto-Indo-European uds-, from Proto-Indo-European úd — out, outward.
Ancestry of “ant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ampte | An ant; a formicid; A mantid |
| 2 | Old English | ǣmete | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | āmaitijā | ant |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | uʀ- | out, over; off, away |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | uz- | up, out |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | uss- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | uds- | up, out |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | úd | out, outward |