Where does “ofursti” come from?
ofursti (Icelandic) comes from Danish oberst, from German Oberst, from German ob, from Middle High German obe, from Old High German oba, from Proto-West Germanic *jabē, from Proto-Germanic jabai, from Proto-Indo-European ē- — then, at that time.
ofursti (Icelandic): colonel
Ancestry of “ofursti”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Danish | oberst | colonel |
| 2 | German | Oberst | colonel |
| 3 | German | ob | if, whether; on account of; over, above, on |
| 4 | Middle High German | obe | — |
| 5 | Old High German | oba | above; Alternative form of ibu |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *jabē | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | jabai | when, if |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ē- | then, at that time |