English
idol
Idol comes from Middle English ydole ‘an idol’, from Latin īdōlum ‘image, form, especially a spectre, apparition…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wéydos‘seeing, image’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*wéidosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἶδοςeîdos‘form’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεἴδωλονeídōlon‘image, idol’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEīdōlum‘image, form, especially a spectre, apparition or ghost’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400idole
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ydole‘an idol’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611idol
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weyd-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wéydos‘seeing, image’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*wéidosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἶδοςeîdos‘form’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεἴδωλονeídōlon‘image, idol’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEīdōlum‘image, form, especially a spectre, apparition or ghost’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400idole
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ydole‘an idol’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611idol
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “20 And the rest of the men which were…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’
story, guy, review, video, visit, idea, evidence, provide, advice, interview, vision, witness, historic, guide, visa, advise, invisible, wisdom, wit, wizard, historian, visibility, evident, vista, wisely, witty, revise, guise, prudent, envious, jurisprudence, unwise, prudence, revue, improvise, avis, purview, twit, voyeur, druid, 105 more
through Proto-Indo-European *wéydos ‘seeing, image’
through Proto-Hellenic *wéidos
through Ancient Greek εἶδος ‘form’
steroid, tabloid, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, parathyroid, idyll, trapezoid, thyroxine, hyoid, thyroiditis, sigmoid, colloid, 49 more
through Ancient Greek εἴδωλον ‘image, idol’
Today it means
noun A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyd- / idol