Where does “ablative” come from?
ablative (Middle English) comes from Old French ablatif, from Latin ablātīvus, from Latin ablātus, from Latin auferō, from Latin ferō, from Proto-Italic ferō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.
Ancestry of “ablative”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | ablatif | the ablative case |
| 2 | Latin | ablātīvus | ablative case |
| 3 | Latin | ablātus | taken away, carried off, stolen, withdrawn, removed; having been taken away, having been carried off, having been stolen, having been withdrawn, having been removed |
| 4 | Latin | auferō | to take away, take off, bear away, bear off, carry off, remove, withdraw |
| 5 | Latin | ferō | to bear; to carry |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | ferō | carry, bear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |