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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

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English

history

/ˈhɪs.tə.ɹi/
The aggregate of past events, both unrecorded and recorded.

    Etymology graph

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    • borrowed
    • derived
    • parts
    • meaning component
    • sound component
    • related
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    Origin

    From Middle English historie, from Old French estoire, estorie (“chronicle, history, story”) (French histoire), from Latin historia, from Ancient Greek ἱστορίᾱ (historíā, “learning through research”), from ἱστορέω (historéō, “to research, inquire (and) record”), from ἵστωρ (hístōr, “the knowing, wise one”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“see, know”). Doublet of story and storey.

    Attested in Middle English in 1393 by John Gower, Confessio Amantis, which was aimed at an educated audience familiar with French and Latin.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle Englishhistorie
      • borrowedOld Frenchhistorie
        • derivedOld Frenchestorie
          • derivedOld Frenchestoire
            • derivedLatinhistoria “story, history”
              • borrowedAncient Greekῐ̔στορῐ́ᾱ “learning through research”
                • partAncient Greekῐ̔στορέω
                  • partAncient Greekῐ̔́στωρ
                    • inheritedProto-Hellenic*wístōr
                      • inheritedProto-Indo-European*wéydtōr
                        • derivedProto-Indo-European*-tōr
                  • partAncient Greek-έω
                    • inheritedProto-Indo-European*-eti
                    • inheritedProto-Indo-European*-eyéti
                    • inheritedProto-Indo-European*-esyéti
                    • inheritedProto-Indo-European*-éh₁yeti
                      • derivedProto-Indo-European*-éh₁ti
                      • derivedProto-Indo-European*-yeti
                    • inheritedProto-Indo-European*-éyeti
                • partAncient Greek-ία “forming abstract nouns”
                  • inheritedProto-Hellenic*-íā
                    • inheritedProto-Indo-European*-éh₂
    • rootProto-Indo-European*weyd- “to know; to see”

    Related: English story (doublet), English storey (doublet), French histoire

    Meanings

    noun
    1. The aggregate of past events, both unrecorded and recorded.
    2. The empirical study of past events, as distinct from literature, myth, or scripture; the assessment of notable events.
    3. The portion of the past that is known and recorded by this field of study, as opposed to all earlier and unknown times that preceded it.
    4. A set of events involving an entity.
    5. A record or narrative description of past events.
    6. A list of past and continuing medical conditions of an individual or family.
    verb
    1. To narrate or record.

    Sources

    • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
    • Wiktionary: history