English
youth
Youth comes from Old English ġeoguþ ‘the state of being young’, from Proto-Germanic *jugunþiz ‘youth’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yéwHō ‘young’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂yéwHō‘young’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*jugunþiz‘the state of being young’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*jugunþi‘youth’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ġeoguþ‘the state of being young’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500youthe
- Englishearliest quotation 1910youth
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂yéwHō‘young’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*jugunþiz‘the state of being young’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*jugunþi‘youth’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ġeoguþ‘the state of being young’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500youthe
- Englishearliest quotation 1910youth
Earliest quotation: 1910, Emerson Hough, The Purchase Price: “Serene, smiling, enigmatic, she faced him with no fear…”
Formed from young + -th
Proto-Indo-European *h₂yuh₁en- ‘young’
…
Proto-Germanic *jungaz
Proto-West Germanic *jung
Old English ġeong
Middle English yong ‘young’
English young
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yéwHō
Today it means
noun The quality or state of being young.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂yéwHō / youth