English
daemon
Daemon comes from Latin daemōn ‘tutelary deity’, from Ancient Greek δαίομαι ‘to divide’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₂y-‘to share, to divide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδαίομαιdaíomai‘to divide’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδαίμωνdaímōn‘dispenser, tutelary deity’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdaemōn‘tutelary deity’
- Englishearliest quotation 2012daemon
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₂y-‘to share, to divide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδαίομαιdaíomai‘to divide’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδαίμωνdaímōn‘dispenser, tutelary deity’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdaemōn‘tutelary deity’
- Englishearliest quotation 2012daemon
Earliest quotation: 2012, Stefan Zweig, The Struggle with the Daemon: Hölderlin: “That is why those of exceptionally "daemonic temperament", those…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y- ‘to share, to divide’
time, till, tide, til, tease, tass, 22 more
through Ancient Greek δαίομαι ‘to divide’
through Ancient Greek δαίμων ‘dispenser, tutelary deity’
through Latin daemōn ‘tutelary deity’
Today it means
noun A minor deity or divinity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y- / daemon