early
/ˈɜːrli/
adjective/adverb
Origin
Old English
ær — before, soon
Overview
Meaning Now
- Happening or done before the usual or expected time.
- Near the beginning of a particular time period or sequence.
Literal older meaning
arriving before others
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → Modern English
Earliest form
ærlice
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word evolved from the Old English 'ær' (before/soon), which is also the ancestor of the word 'ere'. The addition of the suffix '-lice' transformed it into an adverbial form, which eventually stabilized as the modern adjective/adverb 'early'.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*airiz
“earlier”
Comparative of *air-.
- Old English
ærlice
“early, soon”
Compound of ær + -lice (adverbial suffix).
- Middle English
erly
“occurring before time”
Connections
Word parts
ear
root
before
-ly
suffix
characteristic of/like
Related across languages
Old Frisian
erlic
early
Old Saxon
erlic
early
Explore next
Related to early
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.