English
aeon
Aeon comes from Latin aeon ‘one of the Gnostic Aeons’, from Ancient Greek αἰών ‘age, era’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyu- ‘vital force, life, long life, eternity’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eyu-‘vital force, life, long life, eternity’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαἰώνaiṓn‘age, era’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaeon‘one of the Gnostic Aeons’
- Englishearliest quotation 1892same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eyu-‘vital force, life, long life, eternity’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαἰώνaiṓn‘age, era’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaeon‘one of the Gnostic Aeons’
- Englishearliest quotation 1892same form
Earliest quotation: 1892, Rudyard Kipling: “When Earth's last picture is painted, and the tubes…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyu- ‘vital force, life, long life, eternity’
eternal, aye, eternity, ay, eval, 9 more
through Latin aeon ‘one of the Gnostic Aeons’
Today it means
noun Commonwealth standard spelling of eon.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyu- / aeon