Where does “overdo” come from?
Overdo comes from Old English oferdōn, a compound of ofer (over) and dōn (do).
overdo (English): To do too much; to exceed what is proper or true...
Definitions
- To do too much; to exceed what is proper or true...
Ancestry of “overdo”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | overdon | — |
| 2 | Old English | oferdōn | to overdo; do too much, do in excess |
| 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- | — |