Where does “eternity” come from?
Eternity derives from Middle English eternyte, from Old French eternitez, from Latin aeternitas, formed with the suffix -tas from Latin aevum meaning age or lifetime.
eternity (English): Existence without end, infinite time; Existence...
Definitions
- Existence without end, infinite time; Existence...
Ancestry of “eternity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | eternyte | Existence without end; eternity, lasting forever;... |
| 2 | Old French | eternité | — |
| 3 | Latin | aeternitas | eternity |
| 4 | Latin | aeternus | abiding, lasting, permanent, perpetual; eternal,... |
| 5 | Latin | aevum | time as a single, unified, continuous and... |
| 6 | Latin | aevom | Archaic form of aevum |
| 7 | Old Latin | aivom | time, lifetime; age |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | aiwom | age |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |