English
ephemerid
Ephemerid comes from New Latin ephemerus ‘ephemeral, fleeting, short-lived’, from Ancient Greek ἐφήμερος ‘living only one day’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *Héh₂mr̥.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*Héh₂mr̥‘daylight, day’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ā́mər‘day’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἦμαρêmar‘day’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἡμέρᾱhēmérā‘day’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐφήμεροςephḗmeros‘living only one day’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900ephemerus‘ephemeral, fleeting, short-lived’
- mulmodernEphemeridae
- Englishearliest quotation 1976ephemerid
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*Héh₂mr̥‘daylight, day’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ā́mər‘day’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἦμαρêmar‘day’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἡμέρᾱhēmérā‘day’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐφήμεροςephḗmeros‘living only one day’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900ephemerus‘ephemeral, fleeting, short-lived’
- mulmodernEphemeridae
- Englishearliest quotation 1976ephemerid
Earliest quotation: 1976, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift: “I had flown in a helicopter with Javits and…”
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *Héh₂mr̥
Today it means
noun Any in the family Ephemeridae of mayflies.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *Héh₂mr̥ / ephemerid