Where does “for” come from?
for (Middle English) comes from Old English fōr, from Proto-West Germanic furi, from Proto-Germanic furi, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
for (Middle English): for
Ancestry of “for”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | fōr | journey; going, course, journey |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | furi | for; before; forward |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | furi | for, before; before, forward |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |