awe

Where does the word "awe" come from? It comes from Old Norse agi, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

Awe’s story begins in Old Norse: agi meant “terror.” Terror, fright. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as aghe. Replaced the native Old English word 'ege'. It reached English by 1500s as awe. 'awesome', full of awe, dates from the 1590s; the slang sense 'great' from the 1980s. Today, awe means a feeling of reverence mixed with fear or wonder.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval agi "terror", terror, fright.
2. Stage 2 · Middle English · 1200s aghe "dread", replaced the native Old English word 'ege'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s awe "reverent wonder", 'awesome', full of awe, dates from the 1590s; the slang sense 'great' from the 1980s.