Etymograph

English

aven

Aven comes from French aven ‘pit cave, pit’, from Gaulish *abonā ‘river’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- ‘water’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ep-‘water’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ep-h₃ō ~ *h₂p-h₃nésreconstructed
  3. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*abū‘river’reconstructed
  4. Gaulishc. 500 BCE–500 CE*abonā‘river’reconstructed
  5. Occitanc. 1500–presentavenc
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentaven‘pit cave, pit’
  7. Englishtodayaven

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ep-‘water’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ep-h₃ō ~ *h₂p-h₃nésreconstructed
  3. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*abū‘river’reconstructed
  4. Gaulishc. 500 BCE–500 CE*abonā‘river’reconstructed
  5. Occitanc. 1500–presentavenc
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentaven‘pit cave, pit’
  7. Englishtodayaven

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- ‘water’

attitude, apex, apt, ape, aptitude, attitudinal, 22 more

Today it means

noun A vertical shaft leading upward from a cave passage, sometimes connecting with passages above.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- / aven

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