English
argentine
Argentine comes from Old French argentin ‘silvery’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ‘white, argent, glittering’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂erǵ-‘white, argent, glittering’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ŕ̥ǵn̥tom‘silver’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*argentom‘silver’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEargentum‘silver’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400argentin‘silvery’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500argentyne
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1607–1608argentine
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂erǵ-‘white, argent, glittering’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ŕ̥ǵn̥tom‘silver’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*argentom‘silver’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEargentum‘silver’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400argentin‘silvery’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500argentyne
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1607–1608argentine
Earliest quotation: c. 1607–1608, William Shakespeare, The Late: “Celestiall Dian, Goddesse Argentine”.
Formed from argent + -ine
Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ‘white, argent, glittering’
…
Proto-Italic *argentom ‘silver’
Latin argentum ‘white money, silver’
Old French argent ‘silver’
Middle English argent
English argent
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- ‘white, argent, glittering’
Today it means
adj Containing or resembling silver.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- / argentine