annual [LME] This comes via Old French from late Latin annualis, based on Latin annus ‘year’. The notion of a ‘yearbook’ recording events of the past year, arose in the early 16th century. From the same word we get annals [M16th] from Latin annales (libri) ‘yearly (books)’ giving a historical record of the events throughout each year; anniversary [ME] ‘returning yearly’; annuity [LME] something paid ‘yearly’; perennial [M17th] ‘[lasting] through the year’; and the Latin phrases annus horribilis [L20th] ‘year of disasters’ and annus mirabilis [M17th] ‘wonderful year’.