English
auricular
Auricular comes from Late Latin auriculāris ‘of or pertaining to the ear’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- ‘to enjoy’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ew-‘to enjoy’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ṓws‘ear’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*auzis‘ear’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEauris‘ear’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEauricula‘the external ear’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEauriculāris‘of or pertaining to the ear’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606auricular
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ew-‘to enjoy’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ṓws‘ear’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*auzis‘ear’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEauris‘ear’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEauricula‘the external ear’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEauriculāris‘of or pertaining to the ear’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606auricular
Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, London: […] Nathaniel Butter: “[…] I will place you where you shall hear…”
Formed from auricle + -ar
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- ‘to see’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ṓws ‘ear’
Proto-Italic *auzis ‘ear’
Latin auris ‘the ear’
Latin auricula ‘the external ear’
English auricle
The story
Late Middle English, borrowed from Late Latin auriculāris, from auricula (‘the external ear; the ear’) + -āris (“-ar”, adjectival suffix); equivalent to auricle + -ar.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- ‘to enjoy’
love, audience, egg, aviation, oval, audit, obey, avid, anesthesia, ey, ovation, audible, avian, aviator, acoustics, auspicious, acoustical, aviary, ocarina, avarice, 63 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ṓws ‘ear’
ear, acoustic, otolaryngology, 40 more
through Latin auris ‘ear’
Today it means
adj Of or pertaining to the ear.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- / auricular