Dear
/dɪr/noun
Loved and cherished; also used as a polite or affectionate form of address.
Did you know?Old English dēore could mean both “precious” and “costly,” showing how value and emotional attachment were once the same idea in the language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dewh₂-
“to be dear, valuable”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*deurjaz
“dear, expensive, precious”
Old English
OE
dēore
“dear, precious, costly; beloved”
Middle English
ME
deere
“precious; beloved; costly”
Modern English
English
dear
“beloved, cherished, or used as a polite form of address”