Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. Existence without end, infinite time; Existence...

Ancestry of “eternity”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglisheternyteExistence without end; eternity, lasting forever;...
2Old Frencheternité—
3Latinaeternitaseternity
4Latinaeternusabiding, lasting, permanent, perpetual; eternal,...
5Latinaevumtime as a single, unified, continuous and...
6LatinaevomArchaic form of aevum
7Old Latinaivomtime, lifetime; age
8Proto-Italicaiwomage
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eyu-vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ey-vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning

Words derived from “eternity”

  • coeternity
  • preeternity
  • eternitarian
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- →