Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “overwrite” come from?

Overwrite comes from Middle English over- combined with write, deriving from Old English ofer-, from Proto-Germanic uber-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer- meaning to turn or bend.

overwrite (English): To destroy by recording new data over it; To...

Definitions

  1. To destroy by recording new data over it; To...

Ancestry of “overwrite”, 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 “overwrite”

  • overwritable
  • overwriter
  • overwriteable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →