Etymograph

English

ephemeral

Ephemeral comes from New Latin ephemerus ‘ephemeral, fleeting, short-lived’, from Ancient Greek ἐφήμερος ‘living only one day’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *Héh₂mr̥.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*Héh₂mr̥‘daylight, day’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ā́mər‘day’reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἦμαρêmar‘day’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἡμέρᾱhēmérā‘day’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐφήμεροςephḗmeros‘living only one day’
  6. New Latinc. 1500–1900ephemerus‘ephemeral, fleeting, short-lived’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1818ephemeral

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*Héh₂mr̥‘daylight, day’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ā́mər‘day’reconstructed
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἦμαρêmar‘day’
  4. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἡμέρᾱhēmérā‘day’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐφήμεροςephḗmeros‘living only one day’
  6. New Latinc. 1500–1900ephemerus‘ephemeral, fleeting, short-lived’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1818ephemeral

Earliest quotation: 1818, Mary Shelley: “It was during an access of this kind that…”

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *Héh₂mr̥

Today it means

adj Lasting for a short period of time.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *Héh₂mr̥ / ephemeral

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