Where does “every” come from?

every (Middle English) comes from Old English ǣlċ, from Old English ǣġhwylċ, from Proto-Germanic aiwô — ever, always.

every (Middle English): Alternative form of everich

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of everich

Ancestry of “every”, step by step

every traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English ǣlċ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishǣlċ—
2Old Englishǣġhwylċeach, every, any, all
3Proto-Germanicaiwôever, always

via Old English ǣfre

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishǣfre—

Words derived from “every”

Every word from Proto-Germanic aiwô →Every word from Old English ǣġhwylċ →Every word from Old English ǣlċ →