English
envious
Envious comes from Old French envieus, from Latin invidiōsus ‘envious, invidious, hostile’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvidiōsus‘envious, invidious, hostile’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400envieus
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400envious
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘envious (having envy)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1590same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvidiōsus‘envious, invidious, hostile’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400envieus
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400envious
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘envious (having envy)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1590same form
Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, Book I, Canto IV: “He to him leapt, and that same envious gage…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’
story, guy, idea, video, provide, review, visit, evidence, guide, interview, advice, witness, wise, historic, wisdom, vision, wit, idol, wizard, historian, advise, visa, invisible, visibility, evident, witty, guise, vista, steroid, revise, tabloid, prudent, revue, jurisprudence, druid, prudence, improvise, twit, hypothyroidism, voyeur, 119 more
through Latin invidiōsus ‘envious, invidious, hostile’
Today it means
adj Feeling or exhibiting envy; jealously desiring the excellence or good fortune of another; maliciously grudging.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyd- / envious