Where does “ate” come from?
ate (Scots) comes from Middle English ate, from Old English āte, from Proto-Baltic aitā, from Proto-Germanic aitǭ, from Proto-Indo-European h₁eid- — to swell.
Ancestry of “ate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ate | Alternative form of ote |
| 2 | Old English | āte | oat |
| 3 | Proto-Baltic | aitā | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | aitǭ | swelling; swelling; gland; nodule |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁eid- | to swell |