Where does “widen” come from?
Widen comes from Middle English -en, Old English -en, Proto-Germanic jainaz, and Proto-Indo-European roots wī-, dʰeh₁-, and dwóh₁ meaning to make or become broad or extended in space.
widen (English): To become wide or wider; To make wide or wider;...
Definitions
- To become wide or wider; To make wide or wider;...
Ancestry of “widen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | wide | Having a large physical extent from side to side;... |
| 2 | Old English | wīd | wide, vast, broad, long; distant, far |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wīdaz | wide; broad |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁weydʰh₁os | set apart, asunder, in two |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dwi- | two; apart, asunder |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |
Words derived from “widen”