everlasting

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*leys-“to trace, track”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*laistijaną“to follow, pursue”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*laistijan“to follow, pursue; to carry out, perform”
4. Old English · inherited fromlǣstan“to follow, pursue; to carry out, perform”
5. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*perkʷ-“oak tree”
6. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*ferhwą“body; life; tree”
7. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*ferh“life; kind of tree”
8. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*h₂ey-“life, vital force; long time; eternity”
9. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*aiwaz“long time; eternity”
10. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*aiw“eternity; long time”
11. Old English · inherited fromǣfre“ever”
12. Middle English · inherited fromever-lasting“(adjective) eternal, perpetual; constant; (adverb) eternally; (noun) eternity”
13. English todayeverlasting

From Middle English ever-lasting (“(adjective) eternal, perpetual; constant; (adverb) eternally; (noun) eternity”), from ever (“at all times, always, constantly; eternally, perpetually; regularly; etc.”) + lasting (“continuing, lasting; eternal; etc.”). * Ever is derived from Old English ǣfre (“ever”), possibly from ā (“always, ever”) + in fēore (“in life”). Ā is from Proto-West Germanic *aiw (“eternity; long time”), from Proto-Germanic *aiwaz (“long time; eternity”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey- (“life, vital force; long time; eternity”); and fēore is the dative singular of feorh (“life”), from Proto-West Germanic *ferh (“life; kind of tree”), from Proto-Germanic *ferhwą (“body; life; tree”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- (“oak tree”) (as the oak represented life and vitality in Germanic mythology). * Lasting is derived from lasten (“to continue, last; etc.”) + -ing (suffix forming present participle forms of verbs, often used as adjectives)); and lasten from Old English lǣstan (“to follow, pursue; to carry out, perform”), from Proto-West Germanic *laistijan (“to follow, pursue; to carry out, perform”), from Proto-Germanic *laistijaną (“to follow, pursue”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leys- (“to trace, track”). By surface analysis, ever (adverb) + lasting (adjective).

Words from the same roots