Afford
/əˈfɔːrd/noun
To have enough money, time, or ability to do something; also, to provide or supply.
Did you know?Afford began as a verb of movement in Old English, built from a prefix meaning “from/away” and a root meaning “to go,” before later shifting into the idea of being able to supply or provide.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to go through, pass over, or move forward”
Old English
OE
ford
“to travel, go, or conduct”
Old English
OE
æfōrd / a- + ford
“to drive away, carry out, or provide”
Middle English
ME
afforden
“to furnish, supply, or provide”
Modern English
English
afford
“to have enough means for; to be able to supply or spare”