Foreign
/ˈfɔːr.ɪn/noun
Relating to or derived from another country or nation.
Did you know?The word 'foreign' originates from a term meaning 'outside' or 'belonging to another', evoking the age-old fear of the other in ancient societies.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰer-
“to hold, support, or carry, signifying the concept of crossing boundaries.”
Latin
Latin
foris
“outside, outdoors, representing something beyond one’s own space.”
Latin
Latin
foraneus
“belonging to outside, foreign, which later influenced the development of related terms.”
Old French
Old French
forain
“from outside, stranger, carrying connotations of being outside one’s familiar territory.”
Middle English
Middle English
forein
“of or belonging to a place outside of one’s own.”
Modern English
English
foreign
“pertaining to or characteristic of a country or language other than one’s own.”