Where does “fern” come from?

fern (Old Irish) comes from Proto-Celtic wernā, from Proto-Indo-European wern- — alder.

fern (Old Irish): alder; shield; pole, stake

Definitions

  1. alder; shield; pole, stake

Ancestry of “fern”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Celticwernāalder
2Proto-Indo-Europeanwern-alder
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wern- →Every word from Proto-Celtic wernā →
fern — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer