Etymology

offer

of·fer
O1F4F4E1R1

Today it means: A proposal that has been made. Full definition →

Middle English offer ← Old English offrian ← Old French offre
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offer · noun1

  1. Latin · derived fromofferō“to present, bring before”
  2. Old French · derived fromoffre“offer”
  3. Old English · inherited fromoffrian“offer or make a sacrifice”
  4. Middle English · inherited fromoffer
  5. English todayoffer

From Middle English offer, from Old English offrian (“offer or make a sacrifice”) rather than from Old French offre (“offer”), from offrir (“to offer”), from Latin offerō (“to present, bring before”). Compare North Frisian offer (“sacrifice, donation, fee”), Dutch offer (“offering, sacrifice”), German Opfer (“victim, sacrifice”), Danish offer (“victim, sacrifice”), Icelandic offr (“offering”). See verb below.

offer · verb2

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰer-“to carry, bear”
  2. Latin · derived fromob
  3. Latin · derived fromofferō“to present, bestow, bring before”
  4. Old French · derived fromofrir
  5. Old English · derived fromoffrian“to offer, sacrifice, bring an oblation”
  6. Middle English · inherited fromoffren
  7. English todayoffer

From Middle English offren, offrien. In the religious senses inherited from Old English offrian (“to offer, sacrifice, bring an oblation”); otherwise from Old French ofrir. Both ultimately from Latin offerō (“to present, bestow, bring before”, literally “to bring to”), from Latin ob + ferō (“bring, carry”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to carry, bear”), later reinforced by Old French offrir (“to offer”). Cognate with Old Frisian offria (“to offer”), Old Dutch offrōn (“to offer”), German opfern (“to offer”), Old Norse offra (“to offer”). More at ob-, bear.

offer · noun3

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
  3. Proto-Germanic*ab
  4. Proto-West Germanic*ab
  5. Old Englishæf
  6. Old Englishof
  7. Middle Englishof
  8. Englishoff
  9. English todayoffer

From off + -er.

Offer · proper noun4

  1. German · borrowed fromOffer
  2. Norman · derived fromorfrer“goldsmith”
  3. English todayOffer

Occupational surname for a goldsmith, from Norman orfrer (“goldsmith”); compare French orfèvre (“goldsmith”). Also borrowed from German Offer.

Words from the same roots

Latinob all →

obopposeoblateoblatumobluctationos-

Proto-Indo-European*bʰer- all →

burdensufferbarrelborebaronbarmbierfortuitousbordellofurtiveprofferinsufferableburnishburgeonabearsufferable

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.