Eternity
/ɪˈtɜːr.nə.ti/noun
Endless or infinite duration; the state of existing forever.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin aeternus, which is tied to the idea of something always existing, not a secret occult term but a powerful philosophical one that later became central to religion and metaphysics.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*aiw-
“life, vital force, age, long span of life”
Latin
Latin
aevum
“age, lifetime, era”
Latin
Latin
aeternus
“endless, everlasting”
Old French
OF
eterne
“eternal, everlasting”
Middle English
English
eternite
“eternity, endless time”
Modern English
English
eternity
“endless duration”
Explore more surprising origins