dern

dern · noun¹

1. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*darnī“hidden, secret”
2. Old English · inherited fromdyrne
3. Middle English · inherited fromdern
4. English todaydern

From Middle English dern, derne, from Old English dyrne, dierne (“secret”), from Proto-West Germanic *darnī (“hidden, secret”).

dern · adjective²

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*darnī“hidden, secret”
2. Old English · inherited fromdyrne
3. Middle English · inherited fromdern
4. English todaydern

From Middle English dern, derne, from Old English dyrne, dierne (“hidden, secret, retired, obscure, remote, eluding detection, concealed, deceitful, evil, magical”), from Proto-West Germanic *darnī (“hidden, secret”). Doublet of terne.

dern · verb³

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*darnijan“to conceal”
2. Old English · inherited fromdyrnan
3. Middle English · inherited fromdernen
4. English todaydern

From Middle English dernen, dærnen, from Old English dyrnan, diernan (“to keep secret, conceal, hide, restrain, repress, hide oneself”), from Proto-West Germanic *darnijan (“to conceal”), from *darnī (“hidden, secret”). Cognate with Old Saxon dernian (“to conceal”), German tarnen (“to camouflage, disguise”). See also darn, tarnish.

dern · noun⁴

Uncertain. Maybe related to door.

Dern · proper noun⁵

1. German · borrowed fromDern
2. English todayDern

Borrowed from German Dern.

Words from the same roots