Where does “overdefine” come from?
overdefine (English) comes from English define, from Middle English definen, from Old French definer, from Latin dēfīniō, from Latin dē-, from Latin dē, from Latin post, from Latin poste — afterwards, post; by, at.
overdefine (English): To define too rigidly, or in too much depth
Definitions
- To define too rigidly, or in too much depth
Ancestry of “overdefine”, step by step
overdefine traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English define
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | define | To determine with precision; to mark out with... |
| 2 | Middle English | definen | — |
| 3 | Old French | definer | to finish; to end |
| 4 | Latin | dēfīniō | to bound, set bounds to; to limit |
| 5 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 6 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 7 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 8 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |
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- | — |