Where does “drif” come from?
drif (Papiamentu) comes from Dutch drijven, from Middle Dutch drîven, from Old Dutch drīvan, from Proto-West Germanic drīban, from Proto-Germanic drībaną, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.
drif (Papiamentu): to float
Ancestry of “drif”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | drijven | to float; to drive, to push |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | drîven | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | drīvan | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | drīban | to drive, to push, to compel to go |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | drībaną | to drive, push, compel to go |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰreybʰ- | to drive, push |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |