Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overfed” come from?

Overfed comes from Middle English over- combined with fed, from Old English ofer-, from Proto-Germanic uber, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European upér and upo meaning above or over.

overfed (English): Excessively fed; given too much to eat; simple...

Definitions

  1. Excessively fed; given too much to eat; simple...

Ancestry of “overfed”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishFed—
2EnglishfederationAct of joining together into a single political...
3FrenchFédération—
4Latinfoederatiofederation, treaty
5Latin-tiō—
6Latindissertātiō—
7Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
8Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
9Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
10Latincalceusshoe
11Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
12Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →