Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “counter-offer” come from?

counter-offer (English) comes from English counteroffer, from English offer, from Middle English offer, from Old English offrian, from Latin offerō, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

counter-offer (English): alternative form of counteroffer

Definitions

  1. alternative form of counteroffer

Ancestry of “counter-offer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcounterofferAn offer made in reply to an unacceptable offer;...
2EnglishofferA proposal that has been made; Something put...
3Middle Englishoffer—
4Old Englishoffrianto offer
5Latinofferō—
6Latinob-towards; against
7Latinobolusobolus
8Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
9Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
10Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
11Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
12Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →