Etymology Map
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Year

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means the time the Earth takes to orbit the sun

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
jērą
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"season, year"
first meant a season, especially harvest time; related to Greek 'hōra', season, hour
2
Stage 2 of 3
gēar
Old English · 700s-1000s
"year"
written with 'g' but pronounced with a 'y' sound
3
Stage 3 of 3
year
English · 1500s
"year"
German 'Jahr' and Dutch 'jaar' are its cousins
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Read the full story

Year’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: jērą meant “season, year.” First meant a season, especially harvest time; related to Greek 'hōra', season, hour. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as gēar. Written with 'g' but pronounced with a 'y' sound. It reached English by 1500s as year. German 'Jahr' and Dutch 'jaar' are its cousins. Today, year means the time the Earth takes to orbit the sun.