overtake etymology

Etymology:

• Middle English: overtaken, from Old English ofer-tācan "to catch up with, overtake"
• Proto-Germanic: *ufar-tēkanan "to seize from above"
• Proto-Indo-European: *upo-tek- "to seize from above"

Meaning:

• To catch up with and pass something or someone that is moving ahead.
• To surpass or excel in achievement or performance.

Origin:

The verb "overtake" originated in the Old English word "ofer-tācan," which literally means "to catch up with." The prefix "ofer-" means "above" or "over," while the verb "tācan" means "to catch." Over time, the meaning of "overtake" expanded to include the idea of surpassing or excelling.

The Proto-Germanic root *ufar-tēkanan, from which the Old English word is derived, also meant "to seize from above." This suggests that the original concept of overtaking involved catching or seizing something that was ahead and higher up.

The Proto-Indo-European root *upo-tek- had a similar meaning, literally meaning "to seize from above." This root appears in other Indo-European languages with similar meanings, such as Latin "obtinere" (to seize or hold), Greek "ὑπερέχειν" (huperekhein; to surpass), and Sanskrit "upalabhati" (to seize, obtain).

overtake relate terms

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• take

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• overtake

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• over

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• overwhelm

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• overhaul

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  Etymology The word surprise is derived from the Old French word soprise meaning to

• contend

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