Where does “overstarve” come from?
overstarve (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-.
overstarve (English): To starve too much
Definitions
- To starve too much
Ancestry of “overstarve”, step by step
overstarve 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 starve
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | starve | To die; in later use especially to die slowly,... |
| 2 | Middle English | sterven | To die or perish; To perish from cold or hunger;... |
| 3 | Old English | steorfan | to die |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *sterban | to die |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sterbaną | to become stiff; to die, become lifeless |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)terp- | to lose force; lose sensibility, become numb; be... |