Etymograph

English

aidant

Aidant comes from Old French aidant, from aidier ‘to aid, to help’, and ultimately from Latin adiuvō.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEadiuvō‘help, assist’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEadiūtōas adiutāre‘help, assist’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400aidier‘to aid, to help’
  4. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400aidant
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500aydaunt‘helpful, assisting’
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606aidant

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEadiuvō‘help, assist’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEadiūtōas adiutāre‘help, assist’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400aidier‘to aid, to help’
  4. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400aidant
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500aydaunt‘helpful, assisting’
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606aidant

Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of King Lear: “All you unpublished virtues of the earth, / Spring…”

Linked words

through Latin adiuvō ‘help, assist’

coadjutor, 8 more

through Latin adiūtō ‘help, assist’

jury, adjutant, 1 more

through Old French aidier ‘to aid, to help’

aid, aide, 1 more

Today it means

adj helpful, assisting

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

Etymograph / Latin adiuvō / aidant

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