Etymology

area

a·re·a
A1R1E1A1

Today it means: A measure of the extent of a surface; it is measured in square units. Full definition →

First used 18th c.Latin ārea ← Proto-Italic *āreā? ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂erh₃-
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eHs-
  2. Proto-Italic*āzeā?
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂erh₃-
  4. Proto-Italic*āreā?
  5. Latinārea
  6. English todayarea

Learned borrowing from Latin ārea.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 18th c. An open space, below ground level, giving access to the basement of a house, and typically separated from the pavement by railings.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.