Where does “of” come from?
of (Old High German) comes from Old High German oba, from Proto-West Germanic *jabē, from Proto-Germanic jabai, from Proto-Indo-European ē- — then, at that time.
Ancestry of “of”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | oba | above; Alternative form of ibu |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *jabē | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | jabai | when, if |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ē- | then, at that time |