Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “fordriven” come from?

fordriven (Middle English) comes from Old English fordrīfan, from Proto-West Germanic fradrīban, from Proto-Germanic fradrībaną, from Proto-Germanic fra-, from Proto-Indo-European pro-, from Proto-Indo-European por-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.

Ancestry of “fordriven”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfordrīfanto drive, sweep away, drive on, impel, compel,...
2Proto-West Germanicfradrībanto drive away, to drive out, to expel
3Proto-Germanicfradrībanąto drive away, drive out, expel
4Proto-Germanicfra-off, away; completely, fully, up
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
7Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “fordriven”

  • fordrive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →