Source etymology 1
Original entry ↗The medium breathed by human beings; the air. · The sky, the heavens; the void, nothingness. · Often as aether and more fully as luminiferous aether: The hypothetical substance permeating space, functioning as a medium for electromagnetic waves to propagate through, and which does not exert resistance to the movement of matter; its existence is incompatible with Einstein's theory of relativity; famously found to be undetectable by the 1887 Michelson–Morley experiment. · The atmosphere or space as a medium for broadcasting radio and television signals; also, a notional space through which Internet and other digital communications take place; cyberspace.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ-der. Proto-Hellenic *áitʰō Ancient Greek αἴθω (aíthō) ▲ Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.? Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr)der. Latin aethērder. English ether From Middle English ēther (“the caelum aetherum of ancient cosmology in which the planets orbit; a shining, fluid substance described as a form of air or fire; air”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman ether and Middle French ether, ethere, aether, from Old French aether (“highest and purest part of the atmosphere; medium supposedly filling the upper regions of space”) (modern French éther), or directly from its etymon Latin aethēr (“highest and purest part of the atmosphere; air; heavens, sky; light of day; ethereal matter surrounding a deity”) (note also New Latin aethēr (“chemical compound analogous to diethyl ether”)), from Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr, “purer upper air of the atmosphere; heaven, sky; theoretical medium supposed to fill unoccupied space and transmit heat and light”), from αἴθω (aíthō, “to burn, ignite; to blaze, shine”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ- (“to burn; fire”). The English word is cognate with Italian ether, ethera (both obsolete), etere, Middle Dutch ether (modern Dutch aether (obsolete), ether), German Äther, Ether, Portuguese éter, Spanish éter.
Relationships mentioned by the source
These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.
- Inherited-form mentionētherenm
- Derivation mentionetherfrm
- Derivation mentionaetherfro
- Cognate mentionétherfr
- Derivation mentionaethērla
- Derivation mentionαἰθήρgrc
- Derivation mention*h₂eydʰ-ine-pro
- Cognate mentionetherit
- Cognate mentionetherdum
- Cognate mentionaethernl
- Cognate mentionÄtherde
- Cognate mentionéterpt
- Cognate mentionéteres
This page abbreviates 4 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
{
"templates": [
{
"name": "etymon",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": ":der",
"3": "la:aethēr",
"tree": "1"
},
"expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ-der.\nProto-Hellenic *áitʰō\nAncient Greek αἴθω (aíthō)\n▲\nAncient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.?\nAncient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr)der.\nLatin aethērder.\nEnglish ether\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"sky; ether\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂eydʰ-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Hellenic\", \"term\" : \"*áitʰō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grk-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"αἴθω\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" }, { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"influ.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Influenced by\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"ᾱ̓ήρ\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"influence\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Ancient Greek\", \"term\" : \"αἰθήρ\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"grc\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"aethēr\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"ether\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"ether\">"
},
{
"name": "inh",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "ēther",
"4": "",
"5": "the caelum aetherum of ancient cosmology in which the planets orbit; a shining, fluid substance described as a form of air or fire; air"
},
"expansion": "Middle English ēther (“the caelum aetherum of ancient cosmology in which the planets orbit; a shining, fluid substance described as a form of air or fire; air”)"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "xno",
"3": "ether"
},
"expansion": "Anglo-Norman ether"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "frm",
"3": "ether"
},
"expansion": "Middle French ether"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "fro",
"3": "aether",
"4": "",
"5": "highest and purest part of the atmosphere; medium supposedly filling the upper regions of space"
},
"expansion": "Old French aether (“highest and purest part of the atmosphere; medium supposedly filling the upper regions of space”)"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "fr",
"2": "éther"
},
"expansion": "French éther"
},
{
"name": "glossary",
"args": {
"1": "etymon"
},
"expansion": "etymon"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la",
"3": "aethēr",
"4": "",
"5": "highest and purest part of the atmosphere; air; heavens, sky; light of day; ethereal matter surrounding a deity"
},
"expansion": "Latin aethēr (“highest and purest part of the atmosphere; air; heavens, sky; light of day; ethereal matter surrounding a deity”)"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la-new",
"3": "aethēr",
"4": "",
"5": "chemical compound analogous to diethyl ether"
},
"expansion": "New Latin aethēr (“chemical compound analogous to diethyl ether”)"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "grc",
"3": "αἰθήρ",
"4": "",
"5": "purer upper air of the atmosphere; heaven, sky; theoretical medium supposed to fill unoccupied space and transmit heat and light"
},
"expansion": "Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr, “purer upper air of the atmosphere; heaven, sky; theoretical medium supposed to fill unoccupied space and transmit heat and light”)"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*h₂eydʰ-",
"4": "",
"5": "to burn; fire"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ- (“to burn; fire”)"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "it",
"2": "ether"
},
"expansion": "Italian ether"
},
{
"name": "qualifier",
"args": {
"1": "both obsolete"
},
"expansion": "(both obsolete)"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "dum",
"2": "ether"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch ether"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "nl",
"2": "aether"
},
"expansion": "Dutch aether"
},
{
"name": "qualifier",
"args": {
"1": "obsolete"
},
"expansion": "(obsolete)"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "Äther"
},
"expansion": "German Äther"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "pt",
"2": "éter"
},
"expansion": "Portuguese éter"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "es",
"2": "éter"
},
"expansion": "Spanish éter"
},
{
"name": "etymon",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": ":der",
"3": "la:aethēr",
"tree": "1"
},
"expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ-der.\nProto-Hellenic *áitʰō\nAncient Greek αἴθω (aíthō)\n▲\nAncient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.?\nAncient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr)der.\nLatin aethērder.\nEnglish ether"
}
],
"links": [
[
"*h₂eydʰ-",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂eydʰ-"
],
[
"*áitʰō",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Hellenic/áitʰō"
],
[
"αἴθω",
"αἴθω#Ancient_Greek"
],
[
"ᾱ̓ήρ",
"ἀήρ#Ancient_Greek"
],
[
"αἰθήρ",
"αἰθήρ#Ancient_Greek"
],
[
"aethēr",
"aether#Latin"
],
[
"ēther",
"ether#Middle_English"
],
[
"ether",
"ether#Old_French"
],
[
"ether",
"ether#Middle_French"
],
[
"ethere",
"ethere#Middle_French"
],
[
"aether",
"aether#Middle_French"
],
[
"aether",
"aether#Old_French"
],
[
"éther",
"éther#French"
],
[
"aethēr",
"aether#Latin"
],
[
"aethēr",
"aether#Latin"
],
[
"αἰθήρ",
"αἰθήρ#Ancient_Greek"
],
[
"αἴθω",
"αἴθω#Ancient_Greek"
],
[
"*h₂eydʰ-",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂eydʰ-"
],
[
"ether",
"ether#Italian"
],
[
"ethera",
"ethera#Italian"
],
[
"etere",
"etere#Italian"
],
[
"ether",
"ether#Middle_Dutch"
],
[
"aether",
"aether#Dutch"
],
[
"ether",
"ether#Dutch"
],
[
"Äther",
"Äther#German"
],
[
"Ether",
"Ether#German"
],
[
"éter",
"éter#Portuguese"
],
[
"éter",
"éter#Spanish"
]
],
"references": [],
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Korean",
"lang_code": "ko",
"word": "에테르",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "etereu"
},
{
"lang": "Chinese",
"lang_code": "zh",
"word": "以太",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "yǐtài"
}
],
"lexical": [
{
"pos": "noun",
"glosses": [
"The medium breathed by human beings; the air.",
"The sky, the heavens; the void, nothingness.",
"Often as aether and more fully as luminiferous aether: The hypothetical substance permeating space, functioning as a medium for electromagnetic waves to propagate through, and which does not exert resistance to the movement of matter; its existence is incompatible with Einstein's theory of relativity; famously found to be undetectable by the 1887 Michelson–Morley experiment.",
"The atmosphere or space as a medium for broadcasting radio and television signals; also, a notional space through which Internet and other digital communications take place; cyberspace."
],
"tags": [
"broadly",
"countable",
"literary",
"poetic",
"uncountable",
"historical",
"colloquial"
],
"recordId": "450d4ca614c81995aa138d969a7480de3572d29af91b2b8def46cd9be7581a4d",
"rawRecordSha256": "c27a8275efb30ff1577cfcb762166925b9bc3b771aa8e8887c4a15b64745f37e",
"sourceRecordOrdinal": 39374
}
],
"omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
"templates": 0,
"links": 0,
"references": 0,
"descendants": 0,
"lexicalRecords": 0,
"lexicalSenses": 4,
"glosses": 0
}
}