Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “eyeglass” come from?

Eyeglass comes from English eye and Middle English glæs, which derives from Old English glæs via Proto-Germanic augô, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European roots gʰel- and h₂egʰ-.

eyeglass (English): An artificial lens, especially one of a pair; A...

Definitions

  1. An artificial lens, especially one of a pair; A...

Ancestry of “eyeglass”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishglassAn amorphous solid, often transparent substance...
2Scottish Gaelicglasgreen; grey; lock
3Middle Irishglas—
4Old Irishglasgreen, greenish; blue, green-blue, grey-blue; the...
5Proto-Celticglastosgreen, blue
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰl̥h₃stós—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃-to flourish; green, yellow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- →