Etymograph

English

double

Double comes from Middle English double, from Old French doble, from Latin duplus ‘twofold’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dwi- ‘two’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwi-‘two’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwiplós‘double’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dwiplosreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*duplosreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEduplus‘twofold’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400doble
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500double
  8. Englishearliest quotation c. 1515–1516same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwi-‘two’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dwiplós‘double’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*dwiplosreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*duplosreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEduplus‘twofold’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400doble
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500double
  8. Englishearliest quotation c. 1515–1516same form

Earliest quotation: c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton: “A fals double tunge is more fiers and fell…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *dwi- ‘two’

with, pimpernel, 24 more

Today it means

adj Made up of two matching or complementary elements.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dwi- / double

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