Where does “overtake” come from?
Overtake comes from Middle English overtaken, a verb formed from the prefix over- and the verb taken, ultimately tracing to Proto-Germanic roots meaning to seize or grasp.
overtake (English): To pass a more slowly moving object or entity; To...
Definitions
- To pass a more slowly moving object or entity; To...
Ancestry of “overtake”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | overtaken | — |
| 2 | Middle English | overnimen | — |
| 3 | Old English | oferniman | to take by force or violence |
| 4 | Old English | ōfer | riverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | obar | over, above |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | uber | over; over, above |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upér | above; over |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |