Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “immer” come from?

immer (Middle High German) comes from Old High German iomer, from Old High German io, from Proto-West Germanic aiw, from Proto-Germanic aiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- — vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning.

Ancestry of “immer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germaniomeralways
2Old High Germanioalways
3Proto-West Germanicaiwlong time, age, eternity; law
4Proto-Germanicaiwazlong time, age, eternity
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eyu-vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ey-vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning

Words derived from “immer”

  • immerwährend
  • immer gleich
  • immer wenn
  • nimmermehr
  • immerhin
  • immer
  • nimmer
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- →