English
forenight
Forenight comes from Old English foranniht ‘the early part of the night’, and goes back to night.
- Old Englishc. 450–1150night
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150foranniht‘the early part of the night’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fore-niht
- Englishearliest quotation 1895forenight
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Englishc. 450–1150night
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150foranniht‘the early part of the night’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fore-niht
- Englishearliest quotation 1895forenight
Earliest quotation: 1895, William Gordon Stables, Book I: “Yes, it is a low fire with an immense…”
Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘before, formerly’
Proto-Germanic *fura- ‘before, in front of, for’
Proto-West Germanic *forē- ‘before, in front of, fore-, pre-’
English fore-
Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts ‘night’
Proto-Germanic *nahts ‘night’
Proto-West Germanic *naht ‘night’
Old English niht ‘night’
Middle English nighte
English night
Every English word from Old English night
Today it means
noun The evening time, between twilight and bedtime.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old English night / forenight