Etymograph

English

early

Early comes from Middle English erly, and goes back to Old English ǣrlīċ.

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150ǣrlīċ
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500erly
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1913early

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150ǣrlīċ
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500erly
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1913early

Earliest quotation: 1913, Joseph Crosby Lincoln, New York: “'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres,…”

Formed from ere + -ly

Every English word from Old English ǣrlīċ

Another origin of early

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ey-‘day, morning’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éyeri‘early, in the morning’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*airireconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*airiz‘earlier, before’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150ǣr‘early, previous, former’
  6. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ǣrlīċe
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500erly
  8. Englishtodayearly

Today it means

adj At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.

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

Etymograph / Old English ǣrlīċ / early

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