Where does “somewhere” come from?
Somewhere is a Middle English compound of where and some, with some deriving from Old English sum, Proto-Germanic sumaz, and Proto-Indo-European sem-.
somewhere (English): In an uncertain or unspecified location; To an...
Definitions
- In an uncertain or unspecified location; To an...
Ancestry of “somewhere”, step by step
somewhere traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English where
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | where | While on the contrary; although; whereas; At or... |
| 2 | Middle English | wher | where |
| 3 | Old English | hwǣr | where |
| 4 | Old English | -a | Ending forming adverbs; nominative masculine... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ō | Creates feminine nouns from roots and stems |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -ô | -ly; Forms agent nouns, often from the zero-grade... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -ō | Derives nouns from roots |