A compound of off- + road
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó ‘off, away’
Proto-Germanic *aba- ‘off, away’
English off-
Proto-Indo-European *reydʰ- ‘to ride’
Proto-Germanic *raidō ‘a ride’
Proto-West Germanic *raidu ‘riding’
Old English rād ‘riding’
Middle English rode ‘ride’
English road
Today it means
adj Designed for, used for, or taking place on a driving surface that is not traditionally paved, such as a beach or rugged terrain.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / off-road
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