Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “eavesdrop” come from?

Eavesdrop comes from Middle English eves, from Old English dropa, from Proto-Germanic drupô, from Proto-Indo-European dʰrew-.

eavesdrop (English): To hear a conversation one is not intended to...

Definitions

  1. To hear a conversation one is not intended to...

Ancestry of “eavesdrop”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdropA small quantity of liquid, just large enough to...
2Middle Englishdroppen—
3Old Englishdropianto drop
4Old English-ianForms verbs from nouns and adjectives
5Old English-ōjan—
6Proto-West Germanic-ōnCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
7Proto-Germanic-ōnąCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
8Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
9Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
11Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “eavesdrop”

  • eavesdropping
  • eavesdropper
  • eavesdroppingly
Every word from Chichewa iye →