Where does “erian” come from?
erian (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *arjan, from Proto-Germanic arjaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₂erh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European h₁er- — earth.
erian (Old English): to plough
Ancestry of “erian”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | *arjan | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | arjaną | to plough/plow |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂erh₃- | to plough |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁er- | earth |