Where does “drove” come from?
Drove comes from Middle English drave, from Proto-Germanic drōbuz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ-, ultimately from the root dʰer- meaning to hold or support.
drove (English): A number of cattle driven to market or new...
Definitions
- A number of cattle driven to market or new...
Ancestry of “drove”, step by step
drove traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English drave
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | drave | simple past tense of drive |
| 2 | Middle English | drave | — |
| 3 | Old English | drāf | action of driving; a driving out, expulsion;... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | draibō | a drive, push, move; that which is driven; a... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | drībaną | to drive, push, compel to go |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰreybʰ- | to drive, push |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
via Middle English drove
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | drove | Alternative form of drof |