Where does “overstatement” come from?
Overstatement derives from English state, from Latin status meaning "condition or position," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- meaning "to stand."
overstatement (English): An exaggeration; a statement in excess of what is...
Definitions
- An exaggeration; a statement in excess of what is...
Ancestry of “overstatement”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | overstate | To exaggerate; to state or claim too much |
| 2 | English | Over- | Above, or higher |
| 3 | English | over | Discontinued; ended or concluded; Thoroughly;... |
| 4 | Middle English | over | riverbank, seashore, brink |
| 5 | Old English | ōfer | riverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | obar | over, above |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | uber | over; over, above |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | upér | above; over |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |