winter
/ˈwɪntər/
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*wintruz — wet season
Overview
Meaning Now
- The coldest season of the year, in the northern hemisphere from December to February and in the southern hemisphere from June to August.
- A year, often used in counting age (e.g., 'he has seen eighty winters').
Literal older meaning
the wet season
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
winter
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
In many early Germanic cultures, the year was reckoned by winters rather than summers, reflecting the harshness and significance of the season for survival.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*wed-
“water, wet”
- Proto-Germanic
*wintruz
“wet season”
- Old English
winter
“winter”
Connections
Word parts
winter
root
winter
Related across languages
Old Norse
vetr
winter
Gothic
wintrus
winter
Old High German
wintar
winter
Explore next
Related to winter
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.