Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overburden” come from?

Overburden comes from Middle English over- and -en combined with Proto-Indo-European upér meaning "over" and bʰer- meaning "to carry or bear."

overburden (English): To overload or overtax; The rock and subsoil that...

Definitions

  1. To overload or overtax; The rock and subsoil that...

Ancestry of “overburden”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishOver-—
2EnglishoverDiscontinued; ended or concluded; Thoroughly;...
3Middle Englishoverriverbank, seashore, brink
4Old Englishōferriverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border
5Proto-West Germanicobarover, above
6Proto-Germanicuberover; over, above
7Proto-Indo-Europeanupérabove; over
8Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—

Words derived from “overburden”

  • overburdeneth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →