Where does “driven” come from?

driven (Middle English) comes from Old English drīfan, from Proto-West Germanic drīban, from Proto-Germanic drībaną, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.

driven (Middle English): to drive

Definitions

  1. to drive

Ancestry of “driven”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishdrīfanto drive, force, move, chase, hunt, follow up,...
2Proto-West Germanicdrībanto drive, to push, to compel to go
3Proto-Germanicdrībanąto drive, push, compel to go
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰreybʰ-to drive, push
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

Words derived from “driven”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic drībaną →
driven — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer