Etymology

overachievement

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Today it means: A greater than anticipated achievement. Full definition →

English achievement ← Middle French achevement ← Old French achevement
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Germanic*uber
  4. Old Englishofer-
  5. Middle Englishover-
  6. Englishover-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
  8. Proto-Italic*ad
  9. Latinad
  10. Proto-Indo-European*kap-?
  11. Proto-Indo-European*kap-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*káput
  13. Proto-Italic*kaput
  14. Latincaput
  15. Latincapus
  16. Vulgar Latin*accapāre
  17. Old Frenchachever
  18. Old Frenchachevement
  19. Middle Frenchachevement
  20. Englishachievement
  21. English todayoverachievement

From over- + achievement.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.