For Ever
/fɔːr ˈɛvər/noun
For all time; perpetually or without end.
Did you know?“Ever” descends from an ancient Indo-European root associated with vital force, lifetime, or enduring existence—not merely an abstract idea of time.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pro
“Forward, before, or in front of; the ancestral source of English “for” in its temporal and relational uses.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*aiw-
“Vital force, lifetime, age, or enduring time; the root behind “ever” and distant relatives such as “eon.””
Old English
Old English
for
“For, during, because of, or on behalf of.”
Old English
Old English
ǣfre
“Ever, always, at any time; an early form of the second element in the phrase.”
Middle English
Middle English
for ever
“For all time or perpetually; the two words were commonly written separately.”
Modern English
English
forever
“For an unending duration; the fused spelling became standard in modern usage.”