Where does “understanding” come from?
Understanding comes from Middle English understanden, from Old English understandan, from Proto-Germanic under- combined with a root from Proto-Indo-European steh₂-, meaning to stand.
understanding (English): The act of one that understands or comprehends;...
Definitions
- The act of one that understands or comprehends;...
Ancestry of “understanding”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | understandan | to understand |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | understandaną | to stand between, stand in the midst, understand |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | under | among, between; under, beneath; under |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁entér | between |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁en | in; in, inside |
Words derived from “understanding”