tree of life
/triː əv laɪf/
noun
Origin
Old English
trēow — tree, wood, beam
Overview
Meaning Now
- A motif in theology, mythology, and philosophy representing the interconnection of all life on the planet and the source of immortality.
- In biology, a metaphor used to express the concept of common ancestry in evolutionary biology.
Literal older meaning
A literal or symbolic tree that confers or signifies life.
Language path
Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
trēow
Earliest period
11th century
Journey
The 'tree of life' is a recurring archetype in various world religions and mythologies, most notably appearing in the Book of Genesis. In modern science, Charles Darwin popularized the image of a tree to explain the branched nature of species divergence through evolution.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*drew-
“tree or wood”
- Old English
trēow
“tree, log, timber”
- Middle English
tre
“tree”
- Early Modern English
tree of life
“theological symbol of immortality”
Used in the King James Bible translation of Genesis
Connections
Word parts
tree
root
perennial plant
of
other
preposition denoting belonging
life
root
existence, vitality
Related across languages
Old Norse
tré
tree
Old Saxon
trio
tree
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.