Where does “off-coloured” come from?
off-coloured (English) comes from English off, from Middle English of, from Old English of, from Old English æf, from Proto-Germanic *ab, from Proto-Indo-European apó.
off-coloured (English): Having the correct, desired, or pure colour tainted or stained
Definitions
- Having the correct, desired, or pure colour tainted or stained
Ancestry of “off-coloured”, step by step
off-coloured traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English off
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | off | In a direction away from the speaker or object;... |
| 2 | Middle English | of | of; off; until |
| 3 | Old English | of | of, from, off, out of |
| 4 | Old English | æf | of |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *ab | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | apó | — |
via English coloured
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | coloured | Britain standard spelling of colored; simple past... |