Where does “longevity” come from?
Longevity derives from Latin longaevitas, formed from longus and aevum, with -itas marking the abstract noun, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu- meaning lifetime or age.
longevity (English): The quality of being long-lasting, especially of...
Definitions
- The quality of being long-lasting, especially of...
Ancestry of “longevity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | longaevitās | long life, longevity |
| 2 | Latin | longaevus | of a great age, aged, ancient; longevitous |
| 3 | Latin | aevum | time as a single, unified, continuous and... |
| 4 | Latin | aevom | Archaic form of aevum |
| 5 | Old Latin | aivom | time, lifetime; age |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | aiwom | age |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |