English
oval
Oval comes from Late Latin ovalis ‘egg- (relational)’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ōwyóm1‘egg’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ōw(j)om1‘egg’reconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEovum1‘egg’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEovalis1‘egg- (relational)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1901oval1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English oval
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1901, Havelock Ellis, Sexual inversion: “Every congenital abnormality is doubtless due to a peculiarity…”.
Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ōwyómWiktionary, English oval‘egg’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ōw(j)omWiktionary, English oval‘egg’reconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEovumWiktionary, English oval‘egg’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEovalisWiktionary, English oval‘egg- (relational)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1901ovalWiktionary, English oval. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1901, Havelock Ellis, Sexual inversion: “Every congenital abnormality is doubtless due to a peculiarity…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- ‘to enjoy’
audience, ear, audit, acoustic, obey, avid, audible, anesthesia, ovation, aural, otolaryngology, avarice, 66 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwis ‘bird’
aviation, avian, auspicious, aviator, aviary, ocarina, 11 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm ‘egg’
through Late Latin ovum ‘egg’
Today it means
noun A two-dimensional one.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “oval”. 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 *h₂ōwyóm / oval