English
centenarian
Centenarian comes from Latin centēnārius ‘containing a hundred’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ ‘ten’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déḱm̥‘ten’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱm̥tóm‘hundred’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kəntom‘hundred (100)’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcentum‘hundred’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcentēnus‘hundredfold’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcentēnārius‘containing a hundred’
- Englishearliest quotation 1894centenarian
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déḱm̥‘ten’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱm̥tóm‘hundred’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kəntom‘hundred (100)’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcentum‘hundred’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcentēnus‘hundredfold’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcentēnārius‘containing a hundred’
- Englishearliest quotation 1894centenarian
Earliest quotation: 1894, Sex and Long Life: “The average age of these 203 centenarians was 102…”
Formed from centēnārius + -an
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ ‘ten’
dick, ten, decade, dean, dozen, den, diner, decimal, denier, deca, tenfold, dwt, doyen, deni, 49 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥tóm ‘hundred’
through Latin centum ‘hundred’
Today it means
noun One who or that which is at least 100 years old.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *déḱm̥ / centenarian