English
elevator
Elevator comes from Latin ēlevātus ‘raised, elevated’, from levis ‘light, not heavy’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰ.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁éǵʰreconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁éǵʰs‘out’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*eksreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*leɣʷis‘light’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElevis‘light, not heavy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElevō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEēlevō‘to raise or elevate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEēlevātus‘raised, elevated’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500elevat
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500elevaten
- English1500–presentelevate
- Englishearliest quotation 1902elevator
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁éǵʰreconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁éǵʰs‘out’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*eksreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*leɣʷis‘light’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CElevis‘light, not heavy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CElevō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEēlevō‘to raise or elevate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEēlevātus‘raised, elevated’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500elevat
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500elevaten
- English1500–presentelevate
- Englishearliest quotation 1902elevator
Earliest quotation: 1902, Life: “And then the foaming flagons raised on high, with…”
A compound of elevate + -or
Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰ
…
Latin ēlevō ‘to raise, lift up’
Latin ēlevātus ‘raised, elevated’
Middle English elevat ‘high’
Middle English elevaten ‘to raise up, erect’
English elevate
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *eks
ex, expulsion, affray, excommunicate, enunciation, 19 more
through Latin levis ‘light, not heavy’
leave, oblivion, oblivious, alleviate, allege, levant, leger, levee, levity, levitation, levitate, 26 more
through Latin levō
relief, relevant, relieve, lever, unleavened, leaven, 22 more
Today it means
noun Anything that raises or uplifts.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰ / elevator