find
/faɪnd/
verb
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*finþaną — to find, discover, experience
Overview
Meaning Now
- To discover or come upon something, either by chance or through effort.
- To determine or reach a conclusion about something through research, calculation, or investigation.
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
findan
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *pent-, which meant 'to go' or 'to pass', implying that 'finding' was originally conceptualized as 'coming upon' something during a journey.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*finþaną
“to discover, experience”
- Old English
findan
“to encounter, discover, obtain”
- Middle English
finden
“to discover, perceive, encounter”
- Modern English
find
“to discover, obtain”
Connections
Word parts
find
root
discover
Related across languages
German
finden
to find
Dutch
vinden
to find
Old Norse
finna
to find
Explore next
Related to find
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.