Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “efn” come from?

efn (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic ebn, from Proto-Germanic ebnaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁émnos — equal, straight; flat, level, even.

efn (Old English): equal, level, even

Definitions

  1. equal, level, even

Ancestry of “efn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicebneven, level
2Proto-Germanicebnazeven, level
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁émnosequal, straight; flat, level, even

Words derived from “efn”

  • evening
  • evenings
  • eve
  • een
  • evensong
  • eveningwear
  • evenfall
  • eveningness
  • evenest
  • midevening
  • evendown
  • yesterevening
  • evetide
  • noneven
  • evejar
  • eveninger
  • eveningless
  • even Homer nods
  • even Jove nods
  • even-mindedly
  • evenward
  • evenish
  • evetime
  • eveninglike
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁émnos →