English
interval
Interval comes from Latin intervallum ‘space between, interval, distance, interval of…’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEintervallum‘space between, interval, distance, interval of time, pause, difference’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400intervalle
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500interval
- Englishearliest quotation 1666same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEintervallum‘space between, interval, distance, interval of time, pause, difference’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400intervalle
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500interval
- Englishearliest quotation 1666same form
Earliest quotation: 1666, The London Gazette:: “[M]any attempts were made to prevent the spreading of…”
A compound of inter ‘between’ + vallum ‘palisade, wall’
Proto-Indo-European *h₁én ‘in’
Proto-Indo-European *h₁entér ‘between’
Proto-Italic *n̥ter ‘between’
Latin inter ‘between’
Ancient Greek ἧλος ‘nailhead, stud’
Latin vallum ‘palisade, wall’
Every English word from Latin intervallum
Today it means
noun A distance in space.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin intervallum / interval