Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “erten” come from?

erten (Middle English) comes from Old Norse erta, from Proto-Germanic artijaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₂erd- — sharp point, stinger.

Ancestry of “erten”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norseertato provoke, incite, tease
2Proto-Germanicartijanąto tease, taunt, grill, provoke
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂erd-sharp point, stinger

Words derived from “erten”

  • ert
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂erd- →