Where does “must-read” come from?
must-read (English) comes from English read, from Middle English reden, from Old English rǣdan, from Proto-West Germanic rādan, from Proto-Germanic rēdaną, from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₁dʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂reh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- — to fit, to fix, to put together.
must-read (English): A book, article, etc. that one is strongly...
Definitions
- A book, article, etc. that one is strongly...
Ancestry of “must-read”, step by step
must-read traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English read
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | read | To look at and interpret letters or other... |
| 2 | Middle English | reden | to counsel, advise; to study; to read |
| 3 | Old English | rǣdan | to read, interpret; to counsel, advise; plot,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | rādan | to advise, counsel, help; to devise, decide,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rēdaną | to decide, advise |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreh₁dʰ- | to think; to arrange; to succeed, accomplish |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂reh₁- | to think, reason; to arrange |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |
via English must
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | must | To do with certainty; To do as a requirement;... |
| 2 | Old English | mōste | had to |
| 3 | Old English | mōtan | to be allowed, be able to, have the opportunity... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *mōtan | to be allowed, to be permitted to, may |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | mōtaną | to be allowed, to be permitted to, may |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mōd- | to permit, make able |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | med- | to measure; to give advice; healing |