Middle English word ece comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey-, Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyu-, Proto-Indo-European *oiw-, Proto-Indo-European *h₂oyus, and later Proto-Indo-European *h₂óyu (Long time, lifetime.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *h₂ey- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *h₂eyu- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *oiw- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | custom, tradition, law |
| *h₂oyus | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *h₂óyu | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | Long time, lifetime. |
| *aiwiz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *ajukiz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Eternal, lasting forever. |
| ǣċe | Old English (ang) | |
| ece | Old English (ang) | Eternally, ever, evermore, perpetually Durable. Perpetual, eternal, everlasting. |
| eche | Middle English (enm) | Each. |