Where does “erewhile” come from?
erewhile (English) comes from English ēre, from Middle English er, from Old English ǣr, from Old English dēaþ, from Old English wīc, from German witz, from Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi — to see.
erewhile (English): Some time ago; beforehand; formerly
Definitions
- Some time ago; beforehand; formerly
Ancestry of “erewhile”, step by step
erewhile traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ēre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ēre | — |
| 2 | Middle English | er | Alternative form of hire; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Old English | ǣr | ere, before |
| 4 | Old English | dēaþ | death |
| 5 | Old English | wīc | dwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;... |
| 6 | German | witz | joke |
| 7 | Middle High German | witz | — |
| 8 | Old High German | wizzi | — |
| 9 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 11 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |
via English while
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | while | An uncertain duration of time, a period of time;... |
| 2 | Middle English | whyle | while |
| 3 | Old English | hwīl | time; while; while; time, while |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hwīlu | period of rest, pause; time, period of time,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hwīlō | time, period of time, while; period of rest,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷyeh₁- | to rest; rest, peace |