English
gegenschein
Gegenschein comes from German Gegenschein ‘counter-shine’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *skīną.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*skīnąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*skīn‘shine, glint’reconstructed
- Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350schīn
- Germanc. 1650–presentSchein‘shine, gleam, flash’
- German, derivedc. 1650–presentGegenschein‘counter-shine’
- Englishearliest quotation 1860gegenschein
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*skīnąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*skīn‘shine, glint’reconstructed
- Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350schīn
- Germanc. 1650–presentSchein‘shine, gleam, flash’
- German, derivedc. 1650–presentGegenschein‘counter-shine’
- Englishearliest quotation 1860gegenschein
Earliest quotation: 1860, George Jones, Volume 13: “My object in appearing before the Association, at this…”
Every English word from Proto-Germanic *skīną
Today it means
noun A faint brightening of the night sky in the region of the ecliptic directly opposite the Sun.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *skīną / gegenschein