Etymology

under the sun

Today it means: In existence. Full definition →

Middle English under þe sonne ← Hebrew תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
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The story

  1. Hebrew · calque ofתַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ
  2. Middle English · inherited fromunder þe sonne
  3. English todayunder the sun

From Middle English under þe sonne, under þe sunne (compare Old English under sunnan), a calque of Hebrew תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ (táchat hashémesh). The phrase has been associated with the book of Ecclesiastes ever since appearing 29 times in the translation to English by John Wycliffe https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=Under+the+sun&version=WYC

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.