English
hebdomad
Hebdomad comes from Late Latin hebdomada ‘number seven’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *septḿ̥.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*septḿ̥‘seven’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*septm̥mós‘seventh’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hébdomosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἕβδομοςhébdomos‘seventh’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἑβδομάςhebdomás‘group of seven, especially seven days or seven years’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEhebdomada‘number seven’
- Englishearliest quotation 1650hebdomad
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*septḿ̥‘seven’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*septm̥mós‘seventh’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hébdomosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἕβδομοςhébdomos‘seventh’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἑβδομάςhebdomás‘group of seven, especially seven days or seven years’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEhebdomada‘number seven’
- Englishearliest quotation 1650hebdomad
Earliest quotation: 1650, Robert Persons, Guiding Men to Eternall Salvation: “God was now to deliver them, from the bodily…”
The story
The word is cognate with French hebdomadaire, hebdo (‘weekly periodical’), hebdomadairement (‘weekly’), Portuguese hebdomadário (‘weekly periodical’), Spanish hebdomadario (‘weekly; weekly periodical; hebdomadary’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *septḿ̥ ‘seven’
through Proto-Indo-European *septm̥mós ‘seventh’
Today it means
noun A group of seven.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *septḿ̥ / hebdomad