Etymology

driving

D2R1I1V4I1N1G2

Today it means: That drives (a mechanism or process). Full definition →

Middle English dryvyng ← Old English drīfende ← Proto-Germanic *drībandz
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driving · verb, adjective1

  1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*drībaną“to drive”
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*drībandz
  3. Old English · inherited fromdrīfende
  4. Middle English · inherited fromdryvyng
  5. English todaydriving

From Middle English dryvyng, drivende, from Old English drīfende, from Proto-Germanic *drībandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *drībaną (“to drive”), equivalent to drive + -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian drieuwend, West Frisian driuwend, Dutch drijvend, German Low German drievend, German treibend, Swedish drivande.

driving · noun2

  1. Middle English · inherited fromdriving
  2. English todaydriving

From Middle English driving, drivinge, equivalent to drive + -ing. Compare Dutch drijving, German Treibung.

Words from the same roots

Proto-Germanic*drībaną all →

drive

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.