Where does “drift” come from?

drift (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic driftiz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.

drift (Old English): an act of driving (cattle, herds, etc.); movement

Definitions

  1. an act of driving (cattle, herds, etc.); movement

Ancestry of “drift”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicdriftizdriving
2Proto-Indo-Europeandʰreybʰ-to drive, push
3Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

Words derived from “drift”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic driftiz →