English
eyesalve
Eyesalve comes from Old English ēagsealf ‘eye-salve’, and goes back to Proto-West Germanic *augasalbā.
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*augasalbā‘eye-salve’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ēagsealf‘eye-salve’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eȝhe-salfe
- Englishearliest quotation 1611eyesalve
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*augasalbā‘eye-salve’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ēagsealf‘eye-salve’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eȝhe-salfe
- Englishearliest quotation 1611eyesalve
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see”.
Proto-Indo-European *h₃ekʷ- ‘eye’
Proto-Germanic *augô
Proto-West Germanic *augā
Old English ēage
Middle English e
English eye
Proto-Indo-European *selp- ‘salve, ointment’
…
Proto-Germanic *salbō ‘salve, ointment’
Proto-West Germanic *salbu ‘salve, ointment’
Old English sealf ‘ointment, salve’
Middle English salve ‘a salve’
English salve
Every English word from Proto-West Germanic *augasalbā
Today it means
noun An ointment for the eye.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-West Germanic *augasalbā / eyesalve