English
object
Object comes from Old French object, from Medieval Latin obiectum ‘thing thrown against’, from Latin obiciō ‘to throw against’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(H)yeh₁- ‘to throw’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(H)yeh₁-‘to throw’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEiaciō‘to throw’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobiciō‘to throw against’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobiectus‘thrown against; opposed’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500obiectum‘object’literally ‘thrown against’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400object
- Englishearliest quotation 1571same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(H)yeh₁-‘to throw’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEiaciō‘to throw’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobiciō‘to throw against’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobiectus‘thrown against; opposed’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500obiectum‘object’literally ‘thrown against’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400object
- Englishearliest quotation 1571same form
Earliest quotation: 1571, John Whitgift: “The book […] giveth liberty to object any crime…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(H)yeh₁- ‘to throw’
year, hour, catheter, trajectory, enema, jut, iambic, abject, jetsam, 40 more
through Proto-Indo-European *(H)yéh₁kt ~ *(H)ih₁ként
projection, projectile, dejection, 26 more
through Latin iaciō ‘to throw, hurl, cast, fling’
disease, project, ease, adjacent, jet, injection, jess, gist, ejaculation, conjecture, adjective, jetty, inject, ejaculate, ejection, jettison, joist, eject, interject, subjection, 31 more
Today it means
noun A thing that has physical existence but is not alive.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(H)yeh₁- / object