Where does “unforgivable” come from?
Unforgivable derives from English forgive, which traces through Proto-Indo-European óynos and ano-, ultimately from the root bʰuH- meaning to grow or become.
unforgivable (English): Not forgivable; inexcusable
Definitions
- Not forgivable; inexcusable
Ancestry of “unforgivable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | forgivable | Able to be forgiven; excusable; Of a loan, or a... |
| 2 | English | forgive | To pardon; to waive any negative feeling or... |
| 3 | Middle English | foryiven | to forgive |
| 4 | Old English | forġiefan | to give up, bestow; to forgive, give up, provide |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fragebaną | to give, grant; to forgive |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fra- | off, away; completely, fully, up |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |