Where does “offing” come from?
Offing comes from English off, which derives from Middle English of and Middle English yong, tracing back through Old English oþ to Proto-Indo-European h₂epo and h₂yuh₁en-.
offing (English): The area of the sea in which a ship can be seen...
Definitions
- The area of the sea in which a ship can be seen...
Ancestry of “offing”, step by step
offing 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 Old English Offa
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | Offa | Offa of Mercia |