Etymograph

English

ashy

Ashy comes from Middle English asshy ‘of the colour of ashes’, from asshe ‘burnt matter’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *askǭ ‘ash, ashes’.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*askǭ‘ash, ashes’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*askā‘ash, ashes’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150æsce‘ash’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500asshe‘burnt matter’
  5. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500asshy‘of the colour of ashes’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1591ashy

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*askǭ‘ash, ashes’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*askā‘ash, ashes’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150æsce‘ash’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500asshe‘burnt matter’
  5. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500asshy‘of the colour of ashes’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1591ashy

Earliest quotation: 1591, Joachim du Bellay, Ruines of Rome: By Bellay: “Ye heauenly spirites, whose ashie cinders lie / Vnder…”

Formed from ash + -y

Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- ‘to be dry’

Proto-Germanic *askǭ

Proto-West Germanic *askā ‘ash, ashes’

Old English acse

Middle English aisshe

English ash

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- ‘to be dry, to dry’

are, star, stellar, arent, arson, arid, ardent, azalea, asterisk, areal, ardor, 6 more

through Proto-West Germanic *askā ‘ash, ashes’

ash, asse

through Middle English asshe ‘burnt matter’

ashen

Today it means

adj Resembling ashes (especially in colour); (of a person’s complexion) unusually pale as a result of strong emotion, illness, etc.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *askǭ / ashy

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