English
eve
Eve comes from Old English ǣfen ‘evening’, and goes back to Proto-West Germanic *āban.
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*ābanreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ǣfen‘evening’
- Englishearliest quotation 1896eve
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*ābanreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ǣfen‘evening’
- Englishearliest quotation 1896eve
Earliest quotation: 1896, Alfred Edward Housman: “And has she tired of weeping / As she…”
The story
In medieval Europe, days were considered to extend from sunset to sunset rather than midnight to midnight, so the night before a holiday was considered part of it, hence its "eve".
Linked words
through Old English ǣfen ‘evening’
Today it means
noun The day or night before, usually used for holidays, such as Christmas Eve.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-West Germanic *āban / eve