Where does “ei” come from?

ei (Icelandic) comes from Old Norse ei, from Proto-Germanic aiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- — vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning.

ei (Icelandic): not; dative singular indefinite of e

Definitions

  1. not; dative singular indefinite of e

Ancestry of “ei”, step by step

ei traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Norse ei

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norseeiever; always, eternal
2Proto-Germanicaiwazlong time, age, eternity
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eyu-vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ey-vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning

via Icelandic eigi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandiceiginot; owns, "third-person singular subjunctive...
2Proto-Germanicni aiw-ginnever

Words derived from “ei

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu-Every word from Proto-Germanic aiwaz