Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overseas” come from?

Overseas derives from Middle English ouer sea, from Old English ofer sǣ, a compound of ofer meaning over and sǣ meaning sea.

overseas (English): Abroad; Living in a foreign country; Across a...

Definitions

  1. Abroad; Living in a foreign country; Across a...

Ancestry of “overseas”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishoverseaAlternative form of overseas
2Middle Englishover-se—
3Old Englishofer sǣ—
Every word from Old English ofer sǣ →