Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “underfoot” come from?

Underfoot comes from Middle English under- combined with Old English fōt, which derives from Proto-Indo-European pṓds meaning foot.

underfoot (English): Situated under one's foot or feet; In the way;...

Definitions

  1. Situated under one's foot or feet; In the way;...

Ancestry of “underfoot”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfootA biological structure found in many animals that...
2Middle Englishfotfoot; The bottom, lower part or foundation of...
3Old Englishfōtfoot
4Proto-West Germanicfōtfoot
5Proto-Germanicfōtsfoot
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpṓdsfoot
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpóds—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanped-to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall

Words derived from “underfoot”

  • underfooting
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ped- →