Antiquity
/ænˈtɪkwɪti/noun
The ancient past, especially the period before the Middle Ages.
Did you know?Antiquity comes from Latin *antiquitas*, built from *ante* (“before”), so the word’s core idea is simply “the condition of being earlier”—a reminder that even “the ancient world” was once just someone else’s present.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ant-
“front, before”
Latin
Latin
ante
“before, in front of”
Latin
Latin
antiquus
“former, ancient, old”
Latin
Latin
antiquitas
“old age; ancient times; antiquity”
Old French
Old French
antiquité
“antiquity; ancient times”
Middle English
English
antiquite
“ancient times; old age”
Modern English
English
antiquity
“the ancient past, especially classical times”