Where does “around” come from?
Around derives from Middle English around, formed from the Middle English prefix a- and the word round, ultimately tracing through Middle French a-, Latin ad-, and Proto-Indo-European ád and uds- or úd.
around (English): Defining a circle or closed curve containing a...
Definitions
- Defining a circle or closed curve containing a...
Ancestry of “around”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | arounde | about the margin, along the periphery |
| 2 | Middle English | round | circle, round |
| 3 | Old French | reont | round |
| 4 | Latin | retundus | round |
| 5 | Latin | rotundus | round, circular; spherical, rotund; rounded,... |
| 6 | Latin | rotō | to turn, trend, wheel, roll, swing about, whirl, rotate; brandish |
| 7 | Latin | Rota | an ecclesiastical appellate court in the Catholic... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | rotā | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | Hróth₂-eh₂ | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreth₂- | to run |