Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “even Homer nods” come from?

even Homer nods (English) comes from English even, from Middle English even, from Old English efn, from Proto-West Germanic ebn, from Proto-Germanic ebnaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁émnos — equal, straight; flat, level, even.

Ancestry of “even Homer nods”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishevenFlat and level; Without great variation; Equal in...
2Middle Englisheven—
3Old Englishefnequal, level, even
4Proto-West Germanicebneven, level
5Proto-Germanicebnazeven, level
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁émnosequal, straight; flat, level, even

Words derived from “even Homer nods”

  • even Jove nods
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁émnos →