Where does “such” come from?
Such derives from Middle English swich, Old English swilc, Proto-Germanic swalīkaz, combining Proto-Germanic swa with Proto-Indo-European līg-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European swē.
such (English): Like this, that, these, those; used to make a...
Definitions
- Like this, that, these, those; used to make a...
Ancestry of “such”, step by step
such traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English such
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | such | — |
| 2 | Old English | swelċ | such; like that, that kind of |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | swalīkaz | such, that kind of, that sort of |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | swa | so, thus, in this manner |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | swē | like, similar to; just like, in the same manner... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | swē | self (reflexive pronoun) |
via Middle English swilch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | swilch | — |