Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overdone” come from?

Overdone comes from Middle English overdon, from Old English oferdōn, meaning to do excessively or in excess.

overdone (English): Cooked too much; Exaggerated; Repeated too often;...

Definitions

  1. Cooked too much; Exaggerated; Repeated too often;...

Ancestry of “overdone”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishoverdon—
2Old Englishoferdōn—
3Old Englishōferriverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border
4Proto-West Germanicobarover, above
5Proto-Germanicuberover; over, above
6Proto-Indo-Europeanupérabove; over
7Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—

Words derived from “overdone”

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