E 0306          ETERNITY

The word "eternity" comes via Old French fom Latin

H 0112              ע ו ד  ד ע

Concept of root : duration

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ע ד

ע ו ד

׳ad;

׳od

eternity;

duration, continuance

Related English words

eternity, from Latin

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ע ד ;

ע ו ד

ad;

׳od

eternity;

duration, continuance

׳a d

׳a w d

Latin

aevum,

aevitas, aetas, aeternitas

aevum

lifetime,

long time,

eternity

-

a . v

a v t

Greek

αει ;

-

αιων ; (<αϜ )

αιδιος ;

-

aey ;

-

ayon ;

-

aidios ;

-

always, eternal;

eternity ;

-

eternal ;

-

a i < *a iw < *a w ;

-

-

a i d

< *a w d

Middle Dutch

ewe ;

ewich

éwe;

éwigh

eternity; eternal

e . w

Dutch

eeuw ;

eeuwig

éw;

éwigh

century; eternal

e . uw

 

 

Proto-Semitic *‛AD --- *AIW Indo-European

 

 

This root is in all probability related to that of entry E 0307 (Hebrew 0194) that should be read together. There is some uncertainty about the Latin word "aetas". There is also the word "aevum" or in Old Latin "aevos", meaning "lifetime, long time, eternity". If "aetas" is a contraction of "aevitas", we have the same phenomenon in both Latin and Hebrew : an original root with a "V" or "W", the adding of a dental, "D" or "T" and a contraction with the elemination of the "W" or "V".

 

But we doubt that "aetas" can be a contraction of "aevitas", seen also the existence of "aeternitas". The most probable explanation for the existence of these words is that there are in Latin two roots. One is "aev-", related to Greek "aiw" , Gothic "aiw(s)" and Dutch "eeuw". The other is "aet-" , that is related to Hebrew " ‛et ", seen in our entry E 0307 (Hebrew 0194), and also to Greek " aidios.

 

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is found in other Semitic languages with meanings regarding time and also long time, like "epochs", but we have insufficient material for a hypothesis, regarding the specific message of "eternity".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. German has the adjective "ewig = eternal", just like Dutch "eeuwig", in Old High German "ēwig". This is based on substantives. Dutch has "eeuw" for "century. In Middle Dutch there were various spllings: "ewe, eewe, euwe, eeu, ee" and the meanings were the "classic" ones : unlimited time, era, eternity". Old High German and Old Dutch had "ēwa". Old Norse "æfi = lifetime, era" and Gothic "aiws = eternity". As Proto-Germanic is seen a form "*AIW-", which may be right.

 

Note:
  • Latin. As stated before, Latin has two roots, one "AEV-" and the other one "AET". The second one has developed out of the first through the addition of a suffix " T " and the abolishing of the " V ".

 

Note:
  • Greek. Eternity, long time and "always" are in Greek expressed by a root "*aiwes-" that through a very common elimination of the "W" became "AIEI" , found as such in the word " α ι ω ν, aion = lifetime, eternity".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. Old Indian has "āyú-" indicating "lifetime, duration of life" and Avestan "āyu" for "duration, lifetime, age". Together with the information from Greek, Latin and Germanic this indicates an Indo-European "AI W-".

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 22/12/2012 at 13.28.52