Etymograph

English

overlead

Overlead comes from Old English oferlǣdan ‘to oppress, translate’, from lǣdan ‘to lead’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leyt- ‘to leave, depart, die’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyt-‘to leave, depart, die’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*līþaną‘to go, depart, travel’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laidijaną‘to cause to go, lead’reconstructedcausative of *līþaną
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laidijan‘to cause to go, lead’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150lǣdan‘to lead’
  6. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150oferlǣdan‘to oppress, translate’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500overleden
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1891overlead

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyt-‘to leave, depart, die’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*līþaną‘to go, depart, travel’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laidijaną‘to cause to go, lead’reconstructedcausative of *līþaną
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laidijan‘to cause to go, lead’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150lǣdan‘to lead’
  6. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150oferlǣdan‘to oppress, translate’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500overleden
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1891overlead

Earliest quotation: 1891, Sir Thomas Malory, Sir Edward Strachey: “I believe it well, false recreant knight, said Sir…”

Formed from over- + lead

Proto-Indo-European *úp

Proto-Indo-European *upér ‘over’

Proto-Germanic *uber ‘over’

English over-

Proto-Indo-European *leyt- ‘to leave, die’

…

Proto-Germanic *laidijaną ‘to cause one to go, lead’

Proto-West Germanic *laidijan

Old English lǣdan ‘to lead’

Middle English leden

English lead

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *laidijaną ‘to cause to go, lead’

leading, 4 more

Today it means

verb To lead excessively or too much.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leyt- / overlead

Shirt and support for this word