Where does “er” come from?
er (Middle English) comes from Old English ǣr, from Old English dēaþ, from Old English wīc, from German witz, from Middle High German witz, from Old High German wizzi, from Proto-West Germanic wītī, from Proto-Germanic witją — to see.
er (Middle English): Alternative form of hire; Alternative form of...
Definitions
- Alternative form of hire; Alternative form of...
Ancestry of “er”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | ǣr | ere, before |
| 2 | Old English | dēaþ | death |
| 3 | Old English | wīc | dwelling place, abode; abode, dwelling-place;... |
| 4 | German | witz | joke |
| 5 | Middle High German | witz | — |
| 6 | Old High German | wizzi | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | wītī | punishment |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | witją | knowledge; reason; sense; understanding; wit |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | *witaną | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wóyde | to have seen, to know |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |