Where does “hither” come from?
Hither derives from Old English hider, from Proto-Germanic hidrê and hiz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱe-.
hither (English): To this place, to here; over here; On this side;...
Definitions
- To this place, to here; over here; On this side;...
Ancestry of “hither”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | hider | to here, hither |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | hidrê | to this place, to here |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hiz | this |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱís | this |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 6 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 7 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 8 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 9 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |