Etymograph

English

driver

Driver comes from Middle English drivere, from driven ‘to drive’ + -ere, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ- ‘to drive, push’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰreybʰ-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*drībaną‘to drive’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*drīban‘to drive’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150drīfan‘to drive’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500driven‘to drive’
  6. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500drivere
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1902driver

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰreybʰ-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*drībaną‘to drive’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*drīban‘to drive’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150drīfan‘to drive’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500driven‘to drive’
  6. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500drivere
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1902driver

Earliest quotation: 1902, Robert Marshall Grade: “The brassey much resembled the driver, but the iron…”

Formed from drive + -er

Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ- ‘to drive’

Proto-Germanic *drībaną ‘to drive’

Proto-West Germanic *drīban ‘to drive’

Old English drīfan ‘to drive’

Middle English driven ‘to drive’

English drive

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ-

drift, 2 more

through Proto-Germanic *drībaną ‘to drive, push, compel to go’

driving, 1 more

through Old English drīfan ‘to drive’

drove, overdrive, 2 more

Today it means

noun One who drives something.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰreybʰ- / driver

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