Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “eye” come from?

Eye comes from Middle English eye, Old English eġe, Proto-Germanic augô, and Proto-Indo-European h₃ekʷ-, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root h₂egʰ- meaning to see or perceive.

eye (English): An organ through which animals see; The visual...

Definitions

  1. An organ through which animals see; The visual...

Ancestry of “eye”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englisheyeawe, reverence, worshipfulness; horror, panic;...
2Old Englisheġe—
3Old Englishēageeye
4Proto-West Germanicaugāeye
5Proto-Germanicaugôeye
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ekʷ-to see; eye

Words derived from “eye”

  • eyes
  • eyewitness
  • eyeball
  • eyeglasses
  • eyepiece
  • eyeglass
  • eyelash
  • eyeliner
  • eyedropper
  • eyestrain
  • eyewear
  • eyeblink
  • stye
  • eyeful
  • eyespot
  • bigeye
  • fisheye
  • bullseye
  • eyewash
  • eyeshadow
  • eyeshot
  • eyewall
  • eyer
  • pinkeye
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ekʷ- →