Where does “eightfold” come from?
Eightfold derives from Old English eahtafeald, combining Old English aht (eight) with the suffix -feald from Proto-Germanic -falþaz (fold, multiplied), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pel- (to fold).
eightfold (English): Eight times as much; multiplied by eight;...
Definitions
- Eight times as much; multiplied by eight;...
Ancestry of “eightfold”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | eahtafeald | eightfold |
| 2 | Old English | -feald | suffix denoting multiplication, or consisting of... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *-falþ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -falþaz | -fold |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -poltos | -fold |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |
Words derived from “eightfold”