Where does “overbreadth” come from?
overbreadth (English) comes from English breadth, from Middle English bredthe, from Middle English brede, from Old English bred, from Old English -en, from Old Norse -inn, from Proto-Norse -īna-, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz — adjectival suffix.
overbreadth (English): The excessive broadness of a statute that, in...
Definitions
- The excessive broadness of a statute that, in...
Ancestry of “overbreadth”, step by step
overbreadth traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English breadth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | breadth | The extent or measure of how broad or wide... |
| 2 | Middle English | bredthe | breadth |
| 3 | Middle English | brede | Alternative form of breiden; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Old English | bred | surface; plank, board; table, tablet |
| 5 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 6 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
via English over
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | over | Discontinued; ended or concluded; Thoroughly;... |
| 2 | Middle English | over | riverbank, seashore, brink |
| 3 | Old English | ōfer | riverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | obar | over, above |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | uber | over; over, above |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | upér | above; over |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |