Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overearnestness” come from?

overearnestness (English) comes from English overearnest, from English Over-, from English over, from Middle English over, from Old English ōfer, from Proto-West Germanic obar, from Proto-Germanic uber, from Proto-Indo-European upér.

overearnestness (English): The quality of being overearnest

Definitions

  1. The quality of being overearnest

Ancestry of “overearnestness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishoverearnestExcessively earnest
2EnglishOver-—
3EnglishoverDiscontinued; ended or concluded; Thoroughly;...
4Middle Englishoverriverbank, seashore, brink
5Old Englishōferriverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border
6Proto-West Germanicobarover, above
7Proto-Germanicuberover; over, above
8Proto-Indo-Europeanupérabove; over
9Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →