Etymology Map
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Yesterday

3 stages from Proto-Indo-European to English.

Today it means on the day before today

Where does the word "yesterday" come from? It comes from Proto-Indo-European *ghyés, passing through Old English before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
*ghyés
Proto-Indo-European · prehistoric
"yesterday"
the reconstructed root for 'yesterday', which also gave Latin heri and Greek khthés
2
Stage 2 of 3
geostran dæg
Old English · medieval
"the day before"
'yester day', with geostran surviving only in compounds
3
Stage 3 of 3
yesterday
English · 1200s
"the day before today"
the Beatles' 1965 song 'Yesterday' is listed by Guinness World Records as one of the most covered songs ever
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Read the full story

Yesterday’s story begins in Proto-Indo-European: *ghyés meant “yesterday.” The reconstructed root for 'yesterday', which also gave Latin heri and Greek khthés. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old English as geostran dæg. 'yester day', with geostran surviving only in compounds. It reached English by 1200s as yesterday. The Beatles' 1965 song 'Yesterday' is listed by Guinness World Records as one of the most covered songs ever. Today, yesterday means on the day before today.