worldly etymology

Etymology:

• Old English weorold ("world"), from Proto-Germanic weralz ("world, people")
• Cognate with Dutch wereld, German Welt, Danish verden, Swedish värld

Meaning:

• The entire universe, including everything that exists.
• The planet Earth, including its inhabitants and environment.
• The human realm, as opposed to the divine or otherworldly.
• A specific culture, society, or sphere of influence within the world.

Origin:

The Proto-Germanic root weralz is believed to have originated from the Proto-Indo-European root wer ("to turn, go around"), implying something that encompasses or contains all. Over time, this sense evolved from a physical realm to a more abstract concept of totality.

In Old English, weorold was often used in a cosmological sense, referring to the entire universe. It could also refer to the Earth, particularly in the context of the created world. As Christianity spread, the word weorold became associated with the human realm, as distinguished from the heavenly realm.

In modern English, "worldly" typically refers to anything related to the physical or material world, as opposed to the spiritual or transcendent. It can also have negative connotations, implying a focus on material possessions or worldly pleasures over moral or ethical concerns.

worldly relate terms

• like

  Etymology is the study of the origin of words and how their meaning has changed over time

• lich

  Etymology Middle English liche from Old English līc body corpse derived from P

• world

  Etymology Old English weoruld Proto Germanic weralz Proto Indo European wer to t

• yard

  Etymology of yard The word yard has several etymological origins Old English gea

• worldly

  Etymology Old English weorold world from Proto Germanic weralz world people C

• unworldly

  Etymology The word unworldly is derived from two Old English words un negative p

• worldly

  Etymology Old English weorold world from Proto Germanic weralz world people C

• secular

  Etymology The word secular derives from the Latin word saecularis which means perta

• temporal

  Etymology The word temporal is derived from Latin temporalis which in turn comes fro

• proprietary

  Etymology Derived from the Latin word proprius meaning own or belonging exclusive

• cosmic

  Etymology The word cosmic is derived from the Greek word kosmos meaning order or

• mundane

  Etymology Mundane derives from the Latin word mundānus meaning of the world It

• pomp

  Etymology Latin pompa meaning procession parade Meaning A grand elaborate o

• sophisticated

  Etymology From Latin sophisticatus past participle of sophisticare meaning to ad

• sable

  Etymology The word sable has a long and complex etymological history with roots in mul