English
sphere
Sphere comes from Old French sphere ‘sphere (shape)’, from Ancient Greek σφαῖρα ‘ball, globe’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sperH- ‘to kick, rebound, move convulsively’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sperH-‘to kick, rebound, move convulsively’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσφαῖραsphaîra‘ball, globe’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsphaera‘ball, globe, celestial sphere’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsphēra
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sphere‘sphere (shape)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spere‘the cosmos, outer space’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588sphere
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sperH-‘to kick, rebound, move convulsively’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσφαῖραsphaîra‘ball, globe’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsphaera‘ball, globe, celestial sphere’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsphēra
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sphere‘sphere (shape)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spere‘the cosmos, outer space’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588sphere
Earliest quotation: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “ſooner ſhall the Sun fall from his Spheare, Than…”
The story
Not related to superficially similar Persian سپهر (sepehr, “sky”) .
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sperH- ‘to kick, rebound, move convulsively’
through Middle English spere ‘the cosmos, outer space’
Today it means
noun A surface in three dimensions consisting of all points equidistant from a center. .
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sperH- / sphere