English

variant

Variant comes from Old French variant ‘varying’, from Latin variō ‘to change’, and ultimately from varius ‘diverse, various, variegated’.

Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvarius‘diverse, various, variegated’
Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvariō‘to change’
Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvariāns‘varying, fluctuating’present active participle of variō
Old Frenchc. 842–1400variant‘varying’
Englishearliest quotation 2012same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvarius‘diverse, various, variegated’
Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvariō‘to change’
Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvariāns‘varying, fluctuating’present active participle of variō
Old Frenchc. 842–1400variant‘varying’
Englishearliest quotation 2012same form

Earliest quotation: 2012, James Lambert, Beyond Hobson-Jobson: A new lexicography for Indian English: “The "Terms" number is the total number of words…”

first attested First attested in c. 1380 (as stated in the etymology)