Where does “e” come from?

e (Middle Low German) comes 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.

e (Middle Low German): always

Definitions

  1. always

Ancestry of “e”, step by step

e traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-West Germanic aiw

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicaiwlong time, age, eternity; law
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 Proto-Germanic aiwǭ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicaiwǭ—
2Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂óyulong time, lifetime
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu- →Every word from Proto-Germanic aiwaz →