Where does “errand” come from?
Errand comes from Middle English erande, from Old English ǣrende, from Proto-West Germanic ārundī, a word of uncertain ultimate origin and meaning.
errand (English): A journey undertaken to accomplish some task; The...
Definitions
- A journey undertaken to accomplish some task; The...
Ancestry of “errand”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | erande | — |
| 2 | Old English | ǣrende | message |
| 3 | Old English | -ian | Forms verbs from nouns and adjectives |
| 4 | Old English | -ōjan | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -ōn | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |