average

average · noun, adjective, verb¹

1. Arabicعَوَار (ʕawār)
2. Arabicـِيّ (-iyy)
3. Arabicـَة (-a)
4. Arabicـِيَّة (-iyya)
5. Arabicعَوَارِيَّة (ʕawāriyya)bor.?
6. Proto-Indo-European*gʰeh₁bʰ-
7. Proto-Indo-European*gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti
8. Proto-Italic*haβēō
9. Latinhabēre
10. Old Italianavére
11. Old Italianavaria
12. Old Frenchavarie
13. Middle Frenchavarie
14. English todayaverage

Not entirely certain. The oldest meaning in English is “customs duty”. Borrowed from Middle French avarie (“damage to ship or cargo”), from Old French avarie, from Old Italian avaria where it is first attested in the 12th century in the context of Mediterranean trade. From there most sources trace it to Arabic عَوَارِيَّة (ʕawāriyya, “damaged goods”), from عَوَار (ʕawār, “fault, blemish, defect, flaw”), from عَوِرَ (ʕawira, “to lose an eye”), but the OED gives it a Romance derivation from Italian avere (“property, goods”) or the like. The English suffix -age was added in analogy to words like damage.

average · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European*gʰeh₁bʰ-
2. Proto-Indo-European*gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti
3. Proto-Italic*haβēō
4. Latinhabeō
5. Old Frenchaver
6. Middle Englishaver
7. Middle Englishaverage
8. English todayaverage

From Middle English average, from Medieval Latin averagium, from aver (“horse or other beast of burden, service required from the same”) from Old English eafor (“obligation to carry goods and convey messages for one's lord”) from aferian (“to remove, take away”); + -age.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from c. 1735 Any measure of central tendency, especially any mean, the median, or the mode.
• from c. 1735 The arithmetic mean.
• from 17th c. A financial loss due to damage to transported goods; compensation for damage or loss.
• from 17th c. Proportional or equitable distribution of financial expense.
• from 17th c. Customs duty or similar charge payable on transported goods.