Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overwinter” come from?

overwinter (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-.

overwinter (English): To keep or preserve for the winter; To spend the...

Definitions

  1. To keep or preserve for the winter; To spend the...

Ancestry of “overwinter”, step by step

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

Words derived from “overwinter”

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