Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “yarn” come from?

Yarn comes from Middle English yarn, from Old English ġearn, which derives from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer-, a root also meaning to grasp or entwine.

yarn (English): A twisted strand of fiber used for knitting or...

Definitions

  1. A twisted strand of fiber used for knitting or...

Ancestry of “yarn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishyernwilling, eager; to coagulate or curdle
2Old Englishġeorneager
3Proto-West Germanicgerneager, willing
4Proto-Germanicgernazeager, willing
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰer-to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines

Words derived from “yarn”

  • yarnover
  • yarner
  • yarnspinning
  • yarny
  • yarnlike
  • yarnspinner
  • yarncraft
  • nanoyarn
  • yarnwindle
  • yarnless
  • yarn bombing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- →