Where does “terne” come from?

terne (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Old Norse þerna, from Old Saxon thiorna, from Proto-West Germanic *þewernā — handmaid, female servant.

terne (Norwegian Nynorsk): a tern

Definitions

  1. a tern

Ancestry of “terne”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norseþernatern; maid servant
2Old Saxonthiornavirgin
3Proto-West Germanic*þewernāhandmaid, female servant
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *þewernā →Every word from Old Saxon thiorna →Every word from Old Norse þerna →