English
idyll
Idyll comes from Latin īdyllium, from Ancient Greek εἶδος ‘form, shape’, 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, shape’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεἰδύλλιονeidúlliondiminutive of εἶδος
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEīdyllium
- Englishearliest quotation 2012idyll
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, shape’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεἰδύλλιονeidúlliondiminutive of εἶδος
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEīdyllium
- Englishearliest quotation 2012idyll
Earliest quotation: 2012, Justine Jordan, John Saturnall's Feast by Lawrence Norfolk – review: “Its pages contain not just recipes but an idyll…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weyd- ‘to see’
story, guy, video, review, visit, idea, evidence, provide, advice, interview, vision, witness, historic, guide, wisdom, visa, advise, invisible, wit, wizard, historian, visibility, evident, vista, wisely, witty, revise, guise, prudent, envious, jurisprudence, unwise, prudence, revue, improvise, avis, purview, twit, druid, voyeur, 105 more
through Proto-Indo-European *wéydos ‘seeing, image’
through Proto-Hellenic *wéidos
through Ancient Greek εἶδος ‘form, shape’
idol, steroid, tabloid, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, parathyroid, trapezoid, thyroxine, hyoid, thyroiditis, sigmoid, colloid, 50 more
Today it means
noun Any poem or short written piece composed in the style of Theocritus's short pastoral poems, the Idylls.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weyd- / idyll