Where does “æra” come from?
æra (Old Norse) comes from Middle Low German ēre, from Old Saxon ēra, from Proto-West Germanic aiʀu, from Proto-Germanic aizō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂oys-éh₂, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eys- — to wish; to request.
Ancestry of “æra”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | ēre | — |
| 2 | Old Saxon | ēra | renown, glory, honor; honour, protection, pardon,... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | aiʀu | honour; respect, reverence |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | aizō | fear; reverence; honour |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂oys-éh₂ | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eys- | to wish; to request |