English

even-

Even in number, not odd.

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    Origin

    From Middle English even-, efen-, from Old English efn- (“equal, fellow-, co-”), from Proto-West Germanic *ebna- (“like-, level, equal-”, prefix/combining form), from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz (“equal, even”); same as Old English efn (“equal, even, level”). More at even. Cognate with Scots evin- (“equal-”), Old Frisian ivin-, evn- (“even-”), Dutch even-, Old High German eban- (“even-”).

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englisheven-
      • inheritedOld Englishefn- “co-, fellow”
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*ebna- “like-, level, equal-”
          • derivedProto-Germanic*ebnaz “equal, even”
            • derivedProto-Indo-European*h₁émnos “equal, straight; flat, level, even”

    Related: Old English efn, Scots evin-, Old Frisian ivin-, Dutch even-, Old High German eban-

    Sources