Where does “overfear” come from?
overfear (English) comes 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, from Proto-Indo-European upó, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.
overfear (English): To fear excessively; to be too afraid of
Definitions
- To fear excessively; to be too afraid of
Ancestry of “overfear”, step by step
overfear traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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- | — |
via English fear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fear | A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion or... |
| 2 | Middle English | fere | fear |
| 3 | Old English | fēre | able to go, fit for service |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | fēriz | crossing, able to cross |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |