Where does “during” come from?
During comes from Middle English during, from Old French durer meaning to last, from Latin duro meaning to harden or endure, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European drew- meaning firm or solid.
during (English): For all of a given time interval; At any time or...
Definitions
- For all of a given time interval; At any time or...
Ancestry of “during”, step by step
during traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English during
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | during | — |
| 2 | Middle English | duren | to last |
| 3 | Old French | durer | to last |
| 4 | Latin | dūrō | to harden, make hard |
| 5 | Latin | dūrus | — |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | dūros | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | duh₂-ró-s | long, far |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dweh₂- | far; long |
via Middle English durende
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | durende | — |
via Middle English durynge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | durynge | — |