Where does “borderline” come from?
Borderline derives from English border and English line, with border tracing to Old French bordure, Frankish bord, and Proto-Indo-European bʰer-, while line traces to Proto-Indo-European līno-.
borderline (English): nearly; not clearly on one side or the other of a...
Definitions
- nearly; not clearly on one side or the other of a...
Ancestry of “borderline”, step by step
borderline traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English line
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | line | A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight |
| 2 | Middle English | line | rope, cord; line, rule, ruler, measure; rule,... |
| 3 | Old English | līne | line, rope, cord; line, cable, rope, hawser,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *līnā | line, chord, rope, string |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | līnǭ | that which is made of flax; line, chord, rope,... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | līną | flax |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | līno- | flax |
via English border
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | border | The outer edge of something; A decorative strip... |
| 2 | Middle English | bordure | An edge, boundary, demarcation; A heraldic... |
| 3 | Old French | bordeure | — |
| 4 | Old French | border | to border |
| 5 | Frankish | bord | plank, board; side of a ship or vessel; board,... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | burdą | board, plank; table |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰers- | top, tip, point |