Where does “old timer” come from?
old timer (English) comes from English Time, from Middle English tyme, from Old French thym, from Latin thymum, from Ancient Greek θύμον, from Ancient Greek θύω, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.
Ancestry of “old timer”, step by step
old timer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Time
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Time | The inevitable progression into the future with the passing of present and past events |
| 2 | Middle English | tyme | thyme; time; A specific duration or period of... |
| 3 | Old French | thym | — |
| 4 | Latin | thymum | thyme; accusative singular of thymus |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | θύμον | thyme |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | θύω | I offer in sacrifice, slay, burn, immolate; I... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |