easy

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂ew-“to enjoy, consume”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂éwtus
3. Proto-Germanic · derived from*auþuz
4. Old English · derived fromīeþe
5. Middle English · derived fromethe
6. Old French · derived fromaisié“eased, at ease, at leisure”
7. Anglo-Norman · derived fromeisé
8. Middle English · derived fromese“ease”
9. Middle English · derived fromesy
10. English todayeasy

From Middle English esy, eesy, partly from Middle English ese (“ease”) + -y, equivalent to ease + -y, and partly from Anglo-Norman eisé from Old French aisié (“eased, at ease, at leisure”), past participle of aisier (“to put at ease”), from aise (“empty space, elbow room, opportunity”), of uncertain origin. See ease. Merged with Middle English ethe, eathe (“easy”), from Old English īeþe, from Proto-Germanic *auþuz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwtus, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- (“to enjoy, consume”). Compare also Old Saxon ōþi, Old High German ōdi, Old Norse auðr, auð-, Icelandic auð (adverb), auð-, all meaning "easy." More at ease, eath.

Words from the same roots