English
fordrive
Fordrive comes from Old English fordrīfan ‘to drive, sweep away, drive on, impel, compel,…’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *fradrībaną.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fradrībaną‘to drive away, drive out, expel’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fradrīban‘to drive away, to drive out, to expel’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fordrīfan‘to drive, sweep away, drive on, impel, compel, drive away, expel, overtax’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fordriven
- Englishtodayfordrive
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fradrībaną‘to drive away, drive out, expel’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fradrīban‘to drive away, to drive out, to expel’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fordrīfan‘to drive, sweep away, drive on, impel, compel, drive away, expel, overtax’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fordriven
- Englishtodayfordrive
Proto-Indo-European *pro- ‘before, in front of’
Proto-Germanic *fra- ‘off, away’
Proto-West Germanic *fra- ‘forms verbs with the sense of "away from" or…’
English for-
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
Every English word from Proto-Germanic *fradrībaną
Today it means
verb To drive away; expel.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *fradrībaną / fordrive