English
eyely
Eyely comes from Middle English erthely ‘like earth’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁érteh₂.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁érteh₂‘earth’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*erþō‘earth’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*erþu‘earth, world’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150eorþe‘the planet Earth’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150eorþlīċ‘earthly, terrestrial’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500erthelyas ely‘like earth’
- Englishearliest quotation 1892eyely
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁érteh₂‘earth’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*erþō‘earth’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*erþu‘earth, world’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150eorþe‘the planet Earth’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150eorþlīċ‘earthly, terrestrial’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500erthelyas ely‘like earth’
- Englishearliest quotation 1892eyely
Earliest quotation: 1892, Creedmore Fleenor, Passion's Pandemonium: “Ofttimes we look upon an eyely prize, / And…”
Formed from eye + -ly
Proto-Indo-European *h₃ekʷ- ‘eye’
Proto-Germanic *augô
Proto-West Germanic *augā
Old English ēage
Middle English e
English eye
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *erþō ‘earth’
through Old English eorþe ‘the planet Earth’
through Middle English erthely ‘like earth’
Today it means
adj Visible or apparent to the eye; evident; obvious.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁érteh₂ / eyely