English
ambient
Ambient comes from Latin ambiēns ‘going around’, from eō ‘go’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- ‘to go’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁ey-‘to go’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁éyti‘to go, to be going’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ejōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*eō‘to go’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEeō‘go’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambiō‘go around’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambiēns‘going around’
- Englishearliest quotation 1662ambient
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁ey-‘to go’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁éyti‘to go, to be going’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ejōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*eō‘to go’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEeō‘go’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambiō‘go around’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambiēns‘going around’
- Englishearliest quotation 1662ambient
Earliest quotation: 1662, Thomas Salusbury: “It might be also, that attracted by that great…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- ‘to go’
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti ‘to go, to be going’
ion, isthmus, cation, anionic, 19 more
through Proto-Italic *eō ‘to go’
initiative, initiate, initiation, initiator, 4 more
through Latin eō ‘go’
issue, initial, transition, exit, trance, obituary, eyre, sedition, transient, transitive, transitory, seditious, praetorian, praetor, obit, 24 more
through Latin ambiō ‘go around’
ambitious, ambition, ambit, 2 more
through Latin ambiēns ‘going around’
Today it means
adj Encompassing on all sides; surrounding; encircling; enveloping.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- / ambient