Where does “our” come from?

our (Middle English) comes from Middle English oure, from Old English ūr, from Proto-West Germanic ūr, from Proto-Germanic ūraz, from Proto-Indo-European ūsr- — aurochs; buffalo.

our (Middle English): Alternative form of oure; Alternative form of...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of oure; Alternative form of...

Ancestry of “our”, step by step

our traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English oure

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishoureour; my, mine; aurochs
2Old Englishūraurochs
3Proto-West Germanicūraurochs
4Proto-Germanicūrazaurochs
5Proto-Indo-Europeanūsr-aurochs; buffalo

via Old English ūre

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishūreour
2Proto-West Germanicunsarour, ours, of us
3Proto-Germanicunserazour, ours; 1st person plural possessive
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwéywe
5Proto-Indo-Europeanéǵh₂I
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ūsr- →Every word from Proto-Germanic ūraz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic ūr →