Where does “dear” come from?
Dear derives from Middle English dere, Old English dēor, Proto-Germanic diurijaz, and Proto-Indo-European roots including dʰegʷʰ-, dʰewsóm, dʰerh₃-, and dʰwes-.
dear (English): High in price; expensive; Loved; lovable; Lovely;...
Definitions
- High in price; expensive; Loved; lovable; Lovely;...
Ancestry of “dear”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | dēor | animal, beast |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | deuʀ | animal, beast |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | deuzą | animal, beast |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewsóm | living thing |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰéws | breath |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰwes- | to breathe; breath; spirit, soul > creature |
Words derived from “dear”