Where does “drift” come from?
drift (Middle English) comes from Old English drift, from Proto-Germanic driftiz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.
Ancestry of “drift”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | drift | an act of driving ; movement; a driving force;... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | driftiz | driving |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰreybʰ- | to drive, push |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
Words derived from “drift”