Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overview” come from?

Overview derives from Middle English over-, combined with view, which comes from Old French veue, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European weyd- meaning to see.

overview (English): A brief summary, as of a book or a presentation;...

Definitions

  1. A brief summary, as of a book or a presentation;...

Ancestry of “overview”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishOver-—
2EnglishoverDiscontinued; ended or concluded; Thoroughly;...
3Middle Englishoverriverbank, seashore, brink
4Old Englishōferriverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border
5Proto-West Germanicobarover, above
6Proto-Germanicuberover; over, above
7Proto-Indo-Europeanupérabove; over
8Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—

Words derived from “overview”

  • owerview
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →