Where does “outgnaw” come from?

outgnaw (English) comes from English out, from Middle English oute, from Old English ūt, from Proto-West Germanic *ūt, from Proto-Germanic ūt, from Proto-Indo-European úd — out, outward.

outgnaw (English): To gnaw more or better than; to surpass in gnawing

Definitions

  1. To gnaw more or better than; to surpass in gnawing

Ancestry of “outgnaw”, step by step

outgnaw traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English out

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishoutAway from the inside, centre or other point of...
2Middle Englishouteout
3Old Englishūtout
4Proto-West Germanic*ūtout, outward
5Proto-Germanicūtout, outward
6Proto-Indo-Europeanúdout, outward

via English gnaw

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgnawTo bite something persistently, especially...
2Middle EnglishgnawenTo gnaw; to continually bite or chew; To eat or...
3Old Englishgnaganto gnaw
4Proto-West Germanicgnaganto gnaw
5Proto-Germanicgnaganąto gnaw
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰnēgʰ-to gnaw, scratch
Every word from Proto-Indo-European úd →Every word from Proto-Germanic ūt →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *ūt →