Etymograph

English

time

Time comes from Old English tīma ‘time, period’, from Proto-Germanic *tīmô ‘a division, period’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y- ‘to divide’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₂y-1‘to divide’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déh₂imō1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*tīmô1‘division, period; time’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*tīmō1reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150tīma1‘time, period’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tyme1
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602time1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English time
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “The time is out of ioynt: O curſed ſpight,…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deh₂y-Wiktionary, English time‘to divide’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*déh₂imōWiktionary, English timereconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*tīmôWiktionary, English time‘division, period; time’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*tīmōWiktionary, English timereconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150tīmaWiktionary, English time‘time, period’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tymeWiktionary, English time
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602timeWiktionary, English time. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: “The time is out of ioynt: O curſed ſpight,…”

The story

Not related to Latin tempus.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *deh₂y- ‘to divide’

till, demon, tide, tease, til, daemon, tass, daimon, 24 more

through Middle English tyme ‘the concept of time or duration’

thyme, 2 more

Today it means

noun The inevitable progression into the future with the passing of present and past events.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “time”. 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 *deh₂y- / time

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