Where does “задовго” come from?

задовго (Ukrainian) comes from Ukrainian за, from Proto-Slavic za — behind, after (stationary).

задовго (Ukrainian): long, a long time, well

Definitions

  1. long, a long time, well

Ancestry of “задовго”, step by step

задовго traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Ukrainian за

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ukrainianзаbeyond
2Proto-Slaviczabehind, after (stationary)

via Ukrainian довго

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ukrainianдовгоa long time
Every word from Proto-Slavic za →Every word from Ukrainian за →
задовго — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer