Where does “borderline” come from?

borderline (Spanish) comes from English borderline, from English line, from Middle English line, from Old English līne, from Proto-West Germanic *līnā, from Proto-Germanic līnǭ, from Proto-Germanic līną, from Proto-Indo-European līno- — flax.

borderline (Spanish): Someone with borderline personality disorder

Definitions

  1. Someone with borderline personality disorder

Ancestry of “borderline”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishborderlinenearly; not clearly on one side or the other of a...
2EnglishlineA path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight
3Middle Englishlinerope, cord; line, rule, ruler, measure; rule,...
4Old Englishlīneline, rope, cord; line, cable, rope, hawser,...
5Proto-West Germanic*līnāline, chord, rope, string
6Proto-Germaniclīnǭthat which is made of flax; line, chord, rope,...
7Proto-Germaniclīnąflax
8Proto-Indo-Europeanlīno-flax
Every word from Proto-Indo-European līno-
borderline — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer