Authoritative answer
Exact answer
Word descends from Old English word and related Germanic forms; Merriam-Webster records it in English before the 12th century.
Scope: Recorded English etymology and sense history; reviewed July 31, 2026.
Important boundary: The deeper Proto-Germanic reconstruction is a linguistic inference rather than a dated written English form.
Evidence
Quick answer
A short etymology card for word: origin, meaning history, memorable hook, and source-language context.
Source-first
Reviewed Jul 2026
Origin story
From Old English word and related Germanic forms, recorded in English before the twelfth century.
Why it sticks
One of the oldest English tools for talking about language.
Shareable cardWord: One of the oldest English tools for talking about language.