eath

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂ew-“to enjoy, consume”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂éwtus
3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*auþuz
4. Old English · inherited fromīeþe
5. Middle English · inherited fromethe“easy”
6. English todayeath

From Middle English ethe (“easy”), from Old English īeþe, from Proto-Germanic *auþuz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwtus, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- (“to enjoy, consume”). Cognate with Scots eith (“easy”), Old Saxon ōþi, Old High German ōdi (“easy, effortless”), Middle High German œde (“easy”), Old Norse auðr, auð- (“easy”), Icelandic auð (“(adverb) easily”), auð- (“easy”). More at easy.

Words from the same roots