Etymograph

English

Lent

Lent comes from Old English lencten ‘spring (season)’, and goes back to Proto-West Germanic *langatīn.

  1. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*langatīn‘spring’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150lencten‘spring (season)’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2026Lent

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*langatīn‘spring’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150lencten‘spring (season)’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2026Lent

Earliest quotation: 2026, Alicia Eler: “This Tuesday and Wednesday, four holidays from different cultures…”

The story

Shortened form of Lenten, from Old English lencten, from Proto-West Germanic *langatīn (‘spring’), as in a season into which days lengthen as it progresses.

Every English word from Proto-West Germanic *langatīn

Another origin of Lent

  1. Dutchc. 1500–presentvan Lent
  2. EnglishtodayLent

Today it means

noun A period of the ecclesiastical year preceding Easter, traditionally involving temporary abstention from certain foods and pleasures.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-West Germanic *langatīn / Lent

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