Where does “overdrive” come from?
overdrive (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from German übertreiben, from German treiben, from Middle High German trīben, from Old High German drīvan, from Proto-West Germanic drīban, from Proto-Germanic drībaną, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.
overdrive (Norwegian Bokmål): to exaggerate
Definitions
- to exaggerate
Ancestry of “overdrive”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | übertreiben | to exaggerate; to overdo |
| 2 | German | treiben | to drive (e.g. livestock); to propel; to force |
| 3 | Middle High German | trīben | — |
| 4 | Old High German | drīvan | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | drīban | to drive, to push, to compel to go |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | drībaną | to drive, push, compel to go |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰreybʰ- | to drive, push |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |