Where does “northbound” come from?
Northbound derives from English north combined with bound, which comes from Middle English north and French bondir meaning "to leap," ultimately tracing to Latin bombitire and bombus, with roots in Proto-Indo-European bʰendʰ- and h₁ner-.
northbound (English): Heading or moving in a northerly direction;...
Definitions
- Heading or moving in a northerly direction;...
Ancestry of “northbound”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | North | Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie |
| 2 | French | Nord | north |
| 3 | Middle French | nord | north |
| 4 | Old French | nort | north |
| 5 | Old English | norþ | north |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | nurþrą | north, northern; north, northward |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | nurþraz | north, northern |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | *nér | below the surface, below |