Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “history” come from?

History comes from Middle English historie, from Old French estorie, from Latin historia, from Ancient Greek ἱστορία (historía), derived from ἱστορέω (historéō), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European weyd- meaning to see or know.

history (English): The aggregate of past events; The branch of...

Definitions

  1. The aggregate of past events; The branch of...

Ancestry of “history”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishhistorieA narrative, recounting, or chronicle; events in...
2Old Frenchhistorie—
3Latinhistoriahistory; account; story
4Ancient Greekἱστορίαinquiry, examination, systematic observation,...
5Ancient Greekἱστορέωto inquire, ask; to examine, observe; to record,...
6Ancient Greekἵστωρone who knows law and right, judge; witness; a...
7Proto-Hellenicwístōr—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwéydtōrone who has seen, one who knows
9Indo-European*weyd-—

Words derived from “history”

  • prehistory
  • ethnohistory
  • geohistory
  • psychohistory
  • microhistory
  • counterhistory
  • metahistory
  • protohistory
  • historied
  • historyless
  • macrohistory
  • posthistory
  • nonhistory
  • sociohistory
  • historiology
  • unhistoried
  • minihistory
  • antihistory
  • historylike
  • subhistory
  • historize
  • historicide
  • ecohistory
  • historify
Every word from Indo-European *weyd- →