Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “age” come from?

age (Middle English) comes from Old French aage, from Vulgar Latin aetaticum, from Latin aetās, from Latin aevitās, from Proto-Italic aiwotāts, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- — vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning.

age (Middle English): Alternative form of awe; The age of someone ; the...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of awe; The age of someone ; the...

Ancestry of “age”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchaageage
2Vulgar Latinaetaticumage
3Latinaetās—
4Latinaevitās—
5Proto-Italicaiwotātsage
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eyu-vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ey-vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning

Words derived from “age”

  • age
  • aging
  • ageing
  • postage
  • underage
  • ageless
  • ager
  • ageism
  • overage
  • antiaging
  • ageist
  • photoaging
  • agelong
  • underaged
  • multiage
  • agelessness
  • unaging
  • unageing
  • ageable
  • agelessly
  • agemate
  • agewise
  • agest
  • ageth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- →