Etymology
1. 1297, "long but indefinite period in human history," from O.Fr.
aage, from V.L.
*ætaticum (cf. Sp.
edad, It.
eta), from L.
ætatem (nom.
ætas), "period of life," from
ævum "lifetime, eternity, age," from PIE base
*aiw- "vital force, life, long life, eternity." Meaning "time something has lived, particular length or stage of life" is from c.1315. Used especially for "old age" since c.1330. Expelled native
eld. The verb meaning "to grow old" is from 1398.
Ageism "discrimination against people based on age" was coined 1969 by U.S. gerontologist Robert N. Butler, on pattern of
racism, sexism.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey-
4. Proto-Indo-European *-u
5. Proto-Indo-European *h₂óyu
6. Proto-Indo-European *-wom
7. Proto-Indo-European *h₂oywom
8. Proto-Italic *aiwom
9. Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂
10. Proto-Indo-European *-ts
11. Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts
12. Proto-Italic *-tāts
13. Proto-Italic *aiwotāts
14. Latin aetātem
15. Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
16. Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
17. Proto-Indo-European *-tós
18. Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos
19. Proto-Italic *-ātos
20. Latin -ātus
21. Proto-Indo-European *-ikos
22. Proto-Italic *-ikos
23. Latin -icus
24. Latin -āticus
25. Latin -āticum
26. Vulgar Latin *aetāticum
27. Old French eagebor.
28. Middle English age
29. English age
30. From Middle English age, Old French aage, eage, edage, from an assumed Vulgar Latin *aetāticum, derived from Latin aetātem, itself derived from aevum (“lifetime”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyu- (“vital force”). Compare French âge. Displaced native Old English ieldu.
31. The verb is from Middle English agen, from the noun. Originally found mostly as a participial adjective, probably an adjective in -ed, derived from the noun, reanalyzed to create a verb; perhaps modeled on such pairs as Latin senēscō (seneō; verb) / senex (adjective) and Middle French vieillir (verb) / vieil (adjective). Also compare Old French se aagier, eogier (“become of age”). See: Middle English '
agen'.