Where does “if” come from?
if (Volapük) comes from English IF, from Middle English if, from Old English ġif, from Proto-Germanic jabai, from Proto-Indo-European ē- — then, at that time.
if (Volapük): if
Ancestry of “if”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | IF | Initialism of interactive fiction; Initialism of... |
| 2 | Middle English | if | — |
| 3 | Old English | ġif | if |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | jabai | when, if |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ē- | then, at that time |