English
oeuf
Oeuf comes from French œuf ‘egg’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ōwyóm‘egg’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ōw(j)om‘egg’reconstructed
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*ŏvum‘egg’reconstructed
- Vulgar Latin, derivedc. 100–700 CE(*)ŏvum
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400oef‘egg’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600œuf‘egg’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘egg’
- Englishtodayoeuf
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ōwyóm‘egg’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ōw(j)om‘egg’reconstructed
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*ŏvum‘egg’reconstructed
- Vulgar Latin, derivedc. 100–700 CE(*)ŏvum
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400oef‘egg’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600œuf‘egg’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘egg’
- Englishtodayoeuf
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- ‘to enjoy’
audience, ear, audit, acoustic, obey, avid, audible, anesthesia, ovation, aural, avarice, otolaryngology, 65 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwis ‘bird’
aviation, avian, auspicious, aviator, aviary, ocarina, 10 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm ‘egg’
through Vulgar Latin *ŏvum ‘egg’
oval, ova, ovary, ovate, ovoid, ovum, 13 more
through Middle French œuf ‘egg’
Today it means
noun An egg.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm / oeuf