overset

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Etymology

PIE word *upér The verb is derived from Middle English oversetten (“to place or set over, cover; to assail; to defeat, overcome, overpower, overthrow; to defer; to discredit, refute; to disregard, overlook, set aside; to hinder; to oppress; to repulse”), from Old English ofersettan (“to put in a position of authority; to overcome or be overcome; to set over”), from Proto-West Germanic *ubarsattjan (“to place above, set over; to establish, install”), from *ubarsittjan (“to abstain from, neglect; to occupy, possess; to sit over or upon”), from *ubar- (prefix meaning ‘above, over’) + *sittjan (“to sit”) (from Proto-Germanic *sitjaną (“to sit”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”)). By surface analysis, over- (prefix meaning ‘above, higher; excessive, excessively’) + set (verb). Doublet of oversit. Verb sense 1.2.3 (“to translate (a text)”) is probably a calque of German übersetzen. The adjective is derived from overset, the past participle form of the verb. The noun is also derived from the verb. cognates * Dutch overzetten (“to ferry, transport, translate”) * Old High German ubarsezzen (Middle High German übersetzen, modern German übersetzen (“to cross over, translate”)) * Saterland Frisian uursätte (“to cross over, translate”) * Swedish översätta (“to translate”) * West Frisian oersette (“to translate”)

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