Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “learn” come from?

Learn comes from Middle English lernen, from Old English leornian, from Proto-Germanic liznaną and lizaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leys-.

learn (English): To acquire, or attempt to acquire knowledge or an...

Definitions

  1. To acquire, or attempt to acquire knowledge or an...

Ancestry of “learn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlernen—
2Old Englishleornianto learn
3Proto-West Germanic*liʀnōn—

Words derived from “learn”

  • learner
  • unlearn
  • relearn
  • learnable
  • learnability
  • unlearnable
  • learnership
  • overlearn
  • mislearn
  • outlearn
  • unlearnability
  • e-learner
  • belearn
  • forelearn
  • learnling
  • forelearning
  • relearner
  • must-learn
  • unlearnably
  • lernen
  • kennen lernen
  • Lerntherapie
  • Erlernung
  • erlernen
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *liʀnōn →