English
eyot
Eyot comes from Middle English eyt ‘island’, from Proto-West Germanic *auwju ‘floodplain, meadow’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ekʷeh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ahwō‘river’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*awjō‘floodplain’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*auwju‘floodplain, meadow’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150īeġ‘island’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150īġeoþ‘ait, eyot, islet, small island’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eyt‘island’
- Englishtodayeyot
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ekʷeh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ahwō‘river’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*awjō‘floodplain’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*auwju‘floodplain, meadow’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150īeġ‘island’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150īġeoþ‘ait, eyot, islet, small island’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500eyt‘island’
- Englishtodayeyot
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *ahwō ‘river’
through Proto-Germanic *awjō ‘floodplain’
through Proto-West Germanic *auwju ‘floodplain, meadow’
through Middle English eyt ‘island’
Today it means
noun A little island, especially in a river or lake.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ekʷeh₂ / eyot