summer
SUM-er · noun
Origin
English summer comes from Middle English somer, from Old English sumor, from Proto-West Germanic *sumar, from Proto-Germanic *sumaraz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *semh₂-.
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Journey
The word has stayed remarkably stable in form and meaning from Old English sumor straight through to modern English summer, always naming the warm season.
Related words
It's cognate with a wide family of words for warmth or time across languages, including Dutch zomer, German Sommer, Swedish sommar, and Welsh haf; further afield, Sanskrit sámā and Armenian am both carry meanings tied to 'year' or 'season,' hinting that the root once measured stretches of time rather than heat itself.