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Origin and history of eternal

eternal(adj.)

late 14c., from Old French eternel "eternal," or directly from Late Latin aeternalis, from Latin aeternus "of an age, lasting, enduring, permanent, everlasting, endless," contraction of aeviternus "of great age," from aevum "age" (from PIE root *aiw- "vital force, life; long life, eternity").

Used since Middle English both of things or conditions without beginning or end and things with a beginning only but no end. A parallel form, Middle English eterne, is from Old French eterne (cognate with Spanish eterno), directly from Latin aeternus. Related: Eternally. The Eternal (n.) for "God" is attested from 1580s.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to eternal

coeternal(adj.)

also co-eternal, "existing with another for eternity," late 14c., from Medieval Latin, from Late Latin coaeternus; see co- + eternal.

sempiternal(adj.)

"eternal and unchanging, perpetual, everlasting, having no end," early 15c., from Old French sempiternel "eternal, everlasting" (13c.) or directly from Medieval Latin sempiternalis, from Latin sempiternus "everlasting, perpetual, continual," from semper "always, ever" (see semper-). Compare aeternus from aevum (for which see eternal). Related: Sempiternally; sempiternity. The earlier Middle English adjective was sempitern (late 14c.) from Old French sempiterne and Latin sempiternus.

Trawthe is immortalle, immutable, and sempiternalle.
[Higden's "Polychronicon," 15c. translation]
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perpetual
mid-14c., perpetuel, "everlasting, unceasing, existing indefinitely, continuing forever in future time;" late 14c., "uninterrupted, continuous," from Old French perpetuel "without end" (12c.) and directly from Latin perpetualis "universal," in Medieval Latin "permanent," from per
mathematics
time to eternity are also reinforced by pure mathematics, for mathematical objects, such as numbers, if real at all, are eternal...Such eternal objects can be conceived as God's thoughts. [Bertrand Russell, "A History of Western Philosophy"]...
theology
Theology moves back and forth between two poles, the eternal truth of its foundations and the temporal situation in which...the eternal truth must be received....
perdurable
(implied in perdurably), from Old French pardurable "eternal, everlasting, perpetual" (12c.) and directly from Medieval Latin...
eternity
late 14c., "quality of being eternal," from Old French eternité "eternity, perpetuity" (12c.), from Latin aeternitatem (nominative...
reprobation
In theology, "the state of being consigned to eternal punishment" (1530s)....
requiem
["Rest eternal grant them, O Lord ...."]. By 1610s as "any dirge or solemn chant for repose of the dead."...
resort
late 14c., "that to which one has recourse for aid or assistance, source of comfort and solace," from Old French resort "resource, a help, an aid, a remedy," back-formation from resortir "to resort," literally "to go out again," from re- "again" (see re-) + sortir "go out" (see s
shebang
1862 (Whitman), "hut, shed, shelter," American English slang, popularized among soldiers in the U.S. Civil War, but like much of the soldier's slang (e.g. skedaddle, shoddy), it is of uncertain origin. Perhaps it is an alteration of shebeen (q.v.), but shebang meaning "tavern," a
entrepreneur
1828, "manager or promoter of a theatrical production," reborrowing of French entrepreneur "one who undertakes or manages," agent noun from Old French entreprendre "undertake" (see enterprise). The word first crossed the Channel late 15c. (Middle English entreprenour) but did not

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