Where does “passer-by” come from?
passer-by (English) comes from English passer, from English pass, from English passé, from French passé, from French passer, from Middle French passer, from Old French passer, from Vulgar Latin passare — to hate, hurt.
passer-by (English): A person who is passing by
Definitions
- A person who is passing by
Ancestry of “passer-by”, step by step
passer-by traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English passer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | passer | One who succeeds in passing a test, etc; Someone... |
| 2 | English | pass | "To change place."; "To change in state or... |
| 3 | English | passé | Dated; out of style; old-fashioned; Past one's... |
| 4 | French | passé | past tense; past; last |
| 5 | French | passer | to go past; to cross; to pass |
| 6 | Middle French | passer | to pass; to go by |
| 7 | Old French | passer | to pass; to pass by |
| 8 | Vulgar Latin | passare | to walk, pass; step, walk, pass; present active... |
| 9 | Latin | passus | spread out; dried; step |
| 10 | Latin | patior | I suffer, endure; I allow, acquiesce, permit,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₁- | to hate, hurt |
via English by
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | by | Near or next to; From one side of something to... |
| 2 | Middle English | by | be |
| 3 | Old English | bī | lullaby!; near, by; by, near, around |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |