Where does “air” come from?

air (Scots) comes from Middle English er, from Old English ǣr, from Old English dēaþ, from Old English wīc, from German witz, from Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic wītī — to see.

air (Scots): air, atmosphere

Definitions

  1. air, atmosphere

Ancestry of “air”, step by step

air traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English er

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglisherAlternative form of hire; Alternative form of...
2Old Englishǣrere, before
3Old Englishdēaþdeath
4Old Englishwīcdwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;...
5Germanwitzjoke
6Middle High Germanwitz—
7Old High Germanwizzi—
8Proto-West Germanicwītīpunishment
9Proto-Germanicwitjąknowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit
10Proto-Germanic*witaną—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanwóydeto have seen, to know
12Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see

via Old Norse eyrr

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norseeyrra gravel bank
2Proto-Germanicaurīa river bank, or sandbank at the river’s mouth
3Proto-Germanicaurazwet sand or earth, mud; liquid, water, sea
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanHuh₁-ró-s—
5Proto-Indo-European-rósForms adjectives from Caland system roots

via Icelandic ár

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicárearly; year; indefinite accusative singular of ár
2Old Norseára year; plenty, abundance; the name of the A-rune
3Proto-Germanicjērąyear; name of the J-rune
4Proto-Indo-Europeanyeh₁r-year
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyd- →