Where does “overzeal” come from?
overzeal (English) comes from English zeal, from Middle English zele, from Old French zel, from Late Latin zelus, from Ancient Greek ζῆλος, from Ancient Greek ζηλόω, from Ancient Greek -όω, from Proto-Indo-European -oyéti — he, she.
overzeal (English): Excessive zeal
Ancestry of “overzeal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | zeal | The fervour or tireless devotion for a person,... |
| 2 | Middle English | zele | Zeal; endless devotion or striving; Intense love... |
| 3 | Old French | zel | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | zelus | jealousy; zeal, emulation |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ζῆλος | eager rivalry, zealous imitation, emulation, a... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ζηλόω | I emulate; I am jealous |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -όω | Added to a noun or adjective to make a verb with... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -oyéti | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 11 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |