English
year
Year comes from Old English ġēar ‘year’, from Proto-Germanic *jērą ‘year’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *yóh₁r̥ ‘year, spring’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*yóh₁r̥‘year; growing season’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*jērą‘year’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*jār‘year’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ġēar‘year’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500yeer
- Englishearliest quotation 2008year
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*yóh₁r̥‘year; growing season’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*jērą‘year’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*jār‘year’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ġēar‘year’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500yeer
- Englishearliest quotation 2008year
Earliest quotation: 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect: “Shepard: What can you tell me about the Citadel…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(H)yeh₁- ‘to throw’
project, disease, object, jet, adjacent, injection, ease, jess, trajectory, inject, conjecture, catheter, gist, ejection, jetty, abject, eject, ejaculation, enema, ejaculate, jettison, jut, subjection, iambic, interject, joist, jetsam, 43 more
through Proto-Indo-European *yóh₁r̥ ‘year, spring’
through Proto-Germanic *jērą
through Old English ġēar
Today it means
noun A period of time akin to the time taken for the Earth to undergo a full cycle of seasons.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *yóh₁r̥ / year