Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “until” come from?

Until comes from Middle English until, a compound of the preposition unto and the word til meaning "to," originally denoting the point in time at which something ceases.

until (English): Up to the time of; Before; To; physically towards

Definitions

  1. Up to the time of; Before; To; physically towards

Ancestry of “until”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishuntil—

Words derived from “until”

  • till
  • tillage
  • tillable
  • tillite
  • untillable
  • whereuntil
  • overtillage
  • overtill
  • cotillage
  • 'til
  • til
Every word from Middle English until →