English
eager
Eager comes from Middle English egre ‘acidic, sour-tasting’, from Latin ācer ‘sharp, keen’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-‘sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱrós‘sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akris‘sharp’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEācer‘sharp, keen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEācrusvariant of ācer
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400aigre‘sharp, sour, acid’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500egre‘acidic, sour-tasting’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1591–1592eager
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-‘sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱrós‘sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akris‘sharp’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEācer‘sharp, keen’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEācrusvariant of ācer
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400aigre‘sharp, sour, acid’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500egre‘acidic, sour-tasting’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1591–1592eager
Earliest quotation: c. 1591–1592, William Shakespeare, The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]: “If so thou thinkest, vex him with eager words.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’
hear, egg, acid, edge, ear, acute, hammer, axe, acne, oxide, acetate, acupuncture, acacia, acumen, acme, acuity, hark, paragon, acyl, roselle, rosacea, 72 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱrós ‘sharp’
through Proto-Italic *akris ‘sharp’
exacerbate, exacerbation, acerbic, 7 more
through Latin ācer ‘sharp, keen’
through Old French aigre ‘sharp, sour, acid’
Today it means
adj Desirous; keen to do or obtain something.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- / eager