Where does “if” come from?
If comes from Middle English yif, Old English ġif, and Proto-Germanic jabai, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European roots including e- and ya, with cognates in Proto-Germanic ja and Proto-Indo-European yē.
if (English): Supposing that, assuming that, in the...
Definitions
- Supposing that, assuming that, in the...
Ancestry of “if”, step by step
if traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English yif
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | yif | If |
| 2 | Old English | ġif | if |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | jabai | when, if |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ē- | then, at that time |
via Middle English if
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | if | if, on condition that |
via Middle English yef
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | yef | — |