Etymology Map
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Eye

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means the organ of sight

Where does the word "eye" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic augō, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
augō
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"eye"
cognate with Latin 'oculus' and Greek 'ōps'
2
Stage 2 of 3
ēage
Old English · 700s-1000s
"eye"
its plural 'ēagan' gave the Middle English plural 'eyen'
3
Stage 3 of 3
eye
English · 1500s
"eye"
'eyen' gave way to 'eyes' in the 1500s
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Read the full story

Eye’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: augō meant “eye.” Cognate with Latin 'oculus' and Greek 'ōps'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as ēage. Its plural 'ēagan' gave the Middle English plural 'eyen'. It reached English by 1500s as eye. 'eyen' gave way to 'eyes' in the 1500s. Today, eye means the organ of sight.