Etymograph

English

chronicle

Chronicle comes from Latin chronica, from Ancient Greek χρονικός ‘of or concerning time’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- ‘to seize, enclose’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰer-1‘to seize, enclose’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰr-ono-1uncertain
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχρόνος2khrónos‘time’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχρονικός2khronikós‘of or concerning time’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEchronica2
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400cronike2
  7. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400cronicle2
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cronicle2
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1841chronicle2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek χρόνος
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English chronicle
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1841, Punch: “Also a choice cachinatory chronicle, entitled "How to Laugh,…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰer-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek χρόνος‘to seize, enclose’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰr-ono-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek χρόνοςuncertain
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχρόνοςWiktionary, English chroniclekhrónos‘time’
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχρονικόςWiktionary, English chroniclekhronikós‘of or concerning time’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEchronicaWiktionary, English chronicle
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400cronikeWiktionary, English chronicle
  7. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400cronicleWiktionary, English chronicle
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500cronicleWiktionary, English chronicle
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1841chronicleWiktionary, English chronicle. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1841, Punch: “Also a choice cachinatory chronicle, entitled "How to Laugh,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- ‘to seize, enclose’

girl, card, chart, rocket, cartoon, chorus, cartel, cartridge, carte, carton, cartography, urchin, germanium, cartouche, 33 more

through Ancient Greek χρόνος ‘time’

synchronous, crony, cron, synchronize, 8 more

Today it means

noun A written account of events and when they happened, ordered by time.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “chronicle”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek χρόνος. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- / chronicle

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