O.E.
sunne, from P.Gmc.
*sunnon (cf. O.N., O.S., O.H.G.
sunna, M.Du.
sonne, Du.
zon, Ger.
Sonne, Goth.
sunno), from PIE
*s(u)wen- (cf. Avestan
xueng "sun," O.Ir.
fur-sunnud "lighting up"), alternate form of base
*saewel- "to shine, sun" (see
Sol). O.E.
sunne was fem., and the fem. pronoun was used until 16c.; since then masc. has prevailed. The empire
on which the sun never sets (1630) originally was the Spanish, later the British. To
have one's place in the sun (1688) is from Pascal's
"Pensées"; the Ger. imperial foreign policy sense (1897) is from a speech by von Bülow. The U.S.
Sunbelt is first recorded 1969.
Sunlight is first recorded c.1205.
Sunbeam was in O.E.;
sunset first recorded 1390 (
sundown is from 1620);
sunrise is first found 1440 (
sun-up is from 1712).
Sundial is from 1599.
Sunspot in ref. to the solar phenomenon is from 1868. Egg served
sunny side up first attested 1900.
Sunroof of a car is from 1966.