Where does “eerie” come from?
Eerie comes from Middle English eri, Old English earg, Proto-Germanic argaz, and Proto-Indo-European h₁ergʰ-, a root expressing sudden fear or agitation.
eerie (English): Strange, weird, fear-inspiring; Frightened, timid
Definitions
- Strange, weird, fear-inspiring; Frightened, timid
Ancestry of “eerie”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | eri | frightening, fearing |
| 2 | Old English | earg | cowardly; a coward |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | arg | cowardly |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | argaz | unmanly, cowardly, unworthy, indecent |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ergʰ- | to go, move; to mount; to move, go |
Words derived from “eerie”