English
demi
Demi comes from Anglo-Norman demi, from Latin dimidius ‘half’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *médʰi ‘with, among’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*médʰi‘with, among’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*médʰyos‘middle’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*meðios‘middle’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmedius‘middle’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdimidius‘half’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400demi
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1928same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*médʰi‘with, among’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*médʰyos‘middle’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*meðios‘middle’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmedius‘middle’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdimidius‘half’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400demi
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1928same form
Earliest quotation: 1928, Jean Rhys, Quartet: “The place was empty save for a big man…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ‘to do’
do, fact, hot, fair, deal, fan, benefit, fashion, feature, defense, custom, ethnic, sufficient, theme, defence, treasury, treasure, ethical, thesis, aesthetic, feast, synthetic, theology, doom, tick, defendant, dis, atheist, ethic, auditorium, auditor, atheism, deed, ethos, forfeit, feral, fanatic, prefect, thematic, certify, 125 more
through Proto-Indo-European *médʰi ‘with, among’
through Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos ‘middle’
media, mid, midst, maidan, meso, 26 more
through Proto-Italic *meðios ‘middle’
through Latin medius ‘middle’
mean, medium, medal, median, mediation, mediator, medial, mediate, mezzanine, milieu, moiety, medulla, medio, moyen, intermezzo, 18 more
Today it means
noun A fifty pence piece.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *médʰi / demi