Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “outweigh” come from?

Outweigh derives from Middle English ut- combined with Old English wegan, from Proto-Germanic weganą and Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ-, meaning to carry or bear.

outweigh (English): To exceed in weight or mass; To exceed in...

Definitions

  1. To exceed in weight or mass; To exceed in...

Ancestry of “outweigh”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishweighTo determine the weight of an object; Often with...
2Middle Englishweyen—
3Old Englishweġanto move
4Proto-West Germanicweganto carry; to weigh
5Proto-Germanicweganąto move, to carry; to weigh
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- →