Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “-ern” come from?

-ern (English) comes from Middle English -erne, from Old English -erne, from Proto-Germanic -ōnijaz.

-ern (English): Added to the names of directions to form...

Definitions

  1. Added to the names of directions to form...

Ancestry of “-ern”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle English-erne"northerne "northern", southerne "southern",...
2Old English-erneAdjective suffix occurring in names for...
3Proto-Germanic-ōnijaz—

Words derived from “-ern”

  • rightern
  • leftern
Every word from Proto-Germanic -ōnijaz →