Where does “oncoming” come from?
Oncoming derives from the English gerund suffix -ing attached to come, which comes from Old English combined with Proto-Indo-European gʷem- meaning to go or arrive.
oncoming (English): Approach, onset; approaching; coming closer;...
Definitions
- Approach, onset; approaching; coming closer;...
Ancestry of “oncoming”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | oncome | To arrive; come to; come on; Advent, arrival,... |
| 2 | Middle English | oncome | an attack |
| 3 | Middle English | ancomen | — |
| 4 | Old English | oncumen | — |
| 5 | Old English | ancuman | to come, arrive; oncome |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | anakwemaną | to come to, come at, arrive |