Where does “off” come from?
Off derives from Middle English of, from Old English of and oþ, both from Proto-Indo-European h₂epo, ultimately from the root h₁ey-.
off (English): In a direction away from the speaker or object;...
Definitions
- In a direction away from the speaker or object;...
Ancestry of “off”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | of | of; off; until |
| 2 | Old English | of | of, from, off, out of |
| 3 | Old English | æf | of |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *ab | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | apó | — |