Where does “other” come from?
other (Middle English) comes from Old English ōþer, from Proto-West Germanic *anþar, from Proto-Germanic anþeraz, from Proto-Indo-European ánteros — other.
other (Middle English): other
Ancestry of “other”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | ōþer | other, second |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *anþar | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | anþeraz | second; other |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ánteros | other |