English
eastern
Eastern comes from Old English ēasterne, from Proto-Germanic *austrōnijaz ‘eastern’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- ‘dawn’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ews-‘dawn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ews-ro-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*austrōnijazreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ēasterne
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500esturne
- Englishearliest quotation 1948eastern
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ews-‘dawn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ews-ro-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*austrōnijazreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ēasterne
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500esturne
- Englishearliest quotation 1948eastern
Earliest quotation: 1948, Carey McWilliams, J. B. Lippincott Company: “While De Anza was exploring the Bay of San…”
Formed from east + -ern
Proto-Germanic *austraz ‘east’
Proto-Germanic *austrą
Proto-West Germanic *austr ‘eastern’
Old English ēast ‘the east’
Middle English est ‘east’
English east
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- ‘dawn, east’
or, air, plane, aurora, aerial, malaria, exhaust, aura, aria, aero, aureus, eastward, aurelia, oriel, oriole, austral, aurum, 62 more
Today it means
adj Of, facing, situated in, or related to the east.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- / eastern