Etymograph

English

ancient

Ancient comes from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin *anteānus, from Latin ante ‘before’ + -ānus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti ‘in front’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ent-‘front’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂énti‘opposite’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*anti‘before’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEante‘before’
  5. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*anteānusreconstructed
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400ancien
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500auncyen
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1550ancient

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ent-‘front’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂énti‘opposite’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*anti‘before’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEante‘before’
  5. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*anteānusreconstructed
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400ancien
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500auncyen
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1550ancient

Earliest quotation: 1550, Thomas Cranmer: “approved by the consent of the moste ancient doctors…”

The story

The non-etymological excrescent /t/ is by analogy with the common ending -ent.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- ‘front, front side’

end, answer, endless, ender, 11 more

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti ‘in front’

and, 4 more

through Latin ante ‘before’

antique, ante, 3 more

Today it means

adj Having lasted from a remote period; having been of long duration; of great age, very old.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- / ancient

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