English
avidity
Avidity comes from Latin aviditās ‘avidity, covetousness’, from aveō ‘to desire, wish or long for, crave, be eager’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- ‘to enjoy’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ew-‘to enjoy’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ew-eh₁yetireconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaveō‘to desire, wish or long for, crave, be eager’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEavidus‘greedy, covetous’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaviditās‘avidity, covetousness’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400avidite
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1842avidity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ew-‘to enjoy’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ew-eh₁yetireconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEaveō‘to desire, wish or long for, crave, be eager’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEavidus‘greedy, covetous’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEaviditās‘avidity, covetousness’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400avidite
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1842avidity
Earliest quotation: 1842, anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizab, Keeping up Appearances. […]: “Still, there was an inquiry after me, the 'who…”
Formed from avid + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- ‘to enjoy’
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew-eh₁yeti
Latin aveō ‘wish, desire, long for, crave’
Latin avidus ‘eager, desirous’
French avide ‘avid, eager, desirous’
English avid
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- ‘to enjoy’
love, audience, egg, ear, acoustic, oval, obey, aviation, audit, anesthesia, ey, ovation, audible, auspicious, aural, avian, aviator, ocarina, otolaryngology, aviary, 66 more
through Latin aveō ‘to desire, wish or long for, crave, be eager’
through Latin avidus ‘greedy, covetous’
Today it means
noun Greediness; strong appetite.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- / avidity