Where does “open” come from?
open (Low German) comes from Middle Low German āpen, from Proto-Germanic upanaz, from Proto-Indo-European upó, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.
Ancestry of “open”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | āpen | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | upanaz | open |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |