Where does “underearner” come from?
underearner (English) comes from English underearn, from English earn, from Middle English ernen, from Old English irnan, from Old English rinnan, from Proto-West Germanic *rinnan, from Proto-Germanic rinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ér-.
underearner (English): One who earns too little
Ancestry of “underearner”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | underearn | To earn less than; To earn less than might be... |
| 2 | English | earn | To gain through applied effort or work; To... |
| 3 | Middle English | ernen | — |
| 4 | Old English | irnan | Alternative form of rinnan; to run |
| 5 | Old English | rinnan | to run |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *rinnan | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | rinnaną | to run, to rush; to flow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ér- | — |