aeon
UK[ˈiːən]US[ˈiː.ɑːn]
n
an extremely long or indefinite period of time; an age.
n
(in gnosticism and other theological systems) a divine power or nature emanating from the supreme being.
Etymology
the word 'aeon' entered english in the mid-17th century, borrowed from the latin 'aeon', which itself was taken from the greek 'aiōn', meaning 'age', 'vital force', or 'lifetime'. the greek term is of uncertain ultimate origin but is thought to possibly derive from a proto-indo-european root meaning 'vital energy' or 'life force', conceptually linking duration to existence. in english, it evolved from a specific theological concept of a divine emanation to its dominant modern secular meaning, denoting an immeasurably vast span of time, capturing the sense of eternity or a cosmic age.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword from greek, adopted into english as a single, unanalyzable unit in its modern spelling.
Examples
the formation of the mountain range took place over a geological aeon.
in his philosophical writings, he contemplated the aeons that passed before human civilization arose.
the myth spoke of powerful aeons who shaped the universe before the gods.