Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “off-road” come from?

off-road (English) comes from English road, from Middle English rode, from Old English rād, from Proto-West Germanic raidu, from Proto-Germanic raidō, from Proto-Germanic rīdaną, from Proto-Indo-European rēydʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- — to fit, to fix, to put together.

off-road (English): Designed for, used for, or taking place on a...

Definitions

  1. Designed for, used for, or taking place on a...

Ancestry of “off-road”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishroadA way used for travelling between places,...
2Middle EnglishrodeA cross or gibbet; The cross of Christ; The cross...
3Old Englishrādroad; riding, hostile incursion; riding, road
4Proto-West Germanicraiduriding, ride
5Proto-Germanicraidōride, journey; name of the R-rune
6Proto-Germanicrīdanąto ride
7Proto-Indo-Europeanrēydʰ-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂er-to fit, to fix, to put together

Words derived from “off-road”

  • off-roader
  • off-roading
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- →