Dutch word eeuw comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ey-, Proto-Indo-European *h₂oyus, Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyu-, Proto-Indo-European *oiw-, and later Proto-Indo-European *h₂óyu (Long time, lifetime.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *h₂ey- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *h₂oyus | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *h₂eyu- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *oiw- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | custom, tradition, law |
| *h₂óyu | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | Long time, lifetime. |
| *aiwiz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| ēwa | Old Dutch (odt) | |
| êwe | Middle Dutch (dum) | |
| eeuw | Dutch (nld) | (by extension) a very long time, far too long, (an) eternity. Century, 100 years. Many years. |