weather
/ˈwɛðər/
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*wedram — wind, weather
Overview
Meaning Now
- The state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time as regards heat, cloudiness, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.
- Specifically, adverse or stormy atmospheric conditions.
Literal older meaning
wind, storm
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
weder
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word originally carried a stronger connotation of wind or storm, reflected in cognates like German 'Wetter'. The sense expanded to denote general atmospheric conditions over time.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*wedram
“wind, weather”
- Old English
weder
“weather, storm”
- Middle English
wedder
“atmosphere, weather conditions”
- Modern English
weather
“state of the atmosphere”
Connections
Word parts
weather
root
atmospheric condition
Related across languages
German
Wetter
weather, storm
Dutch
weder
weather
Old Norse
veðr
weather, storm
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.