Where does “overwield” come from?
overwield (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-.
overwield (English): To wield over or in excess; overpower
Definitions
- To wield over or in excess; overpower
Ancestry of “overwield”, step by step
overwield 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 wield
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wield | To command, rule over; to possess or own; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | wẹ̄lden | to reign, rule, command |
| 3 | Old English | wealdan | to control; to wield; to rule |
| 4 | Germanic | *waldan | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | waldaną | to rule |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | waldʰ- | to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess |