Where does “early” come from?
Early comes from Middle English erly, from Old English ærlice, from Old English ǣr meaning before, from Proto-Germanic airist, airi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éyeri and h₂ey-.
early (English): At a time in advance of the usual or expected...
Definitions
- At a time in advance of the usual or expected...
Ancestry of “early”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | erly | early |
| 2 | Old English | ǣrlīċe | — |
Words derived from “early”