English
hitherto
Hitherto comes from Middle English hiderto ‘to the present time, until now’, from Old English hider ‘to here, hither’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱís.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱís‘this (here)’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hiz‘this’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hidrê‘to this place, to here, hither’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hider‘to here, hither’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hiderto‘to the present time, until now’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526hitherto
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱís‘this (here)’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hiz‘this’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hidrê‘to this place, to here, hither’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hider‘to here, hither’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hiderto‘to the present time, until now’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526hitherto
Earliest quotation: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “All men att the begynnynge⸝ ſett forth goode wyne⸝…”
The story
The adverb is derived from Middle English hiderto (‘to the present time, until now; up to this point’), from hider (‘in this direction, to or toward this place; up to the present time, until now’) (from Old English hider (‘to here, hither’)) + to (‘in the direction of, toward; etc.’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱís ‘this (here)’
through Proto-Germanic *hiz ‘this’
Today it means
adv Up to this or that time.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱís / hitherto