ean

ean · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂ewg-“to increase”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*aukô“increase”
3. Old English · inherited fromēacnian“to add, increase, be enlarged, be augmented, become pregnant, conceive, bring forth, produce”
4. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*aunōną“to bring forth lambs”
5. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*aunōn
6. Old English · inherited fromēanian“to yean, bring forth young, bring forth lambs”
7. Middle English · inherited fromenen
8. English todayean

From Middle English enen, from Old English ēanian (“to yean, bring forth young, bring forth lambs”), from Proto-West Germanic *aunōn, from Proto-Germanic *aunōną (“to bring forth lambs”). An alternate etymology derives the Old English word from a corruption of Old English ēacnian (“to add, increase, be enlarged, be augmented, become pregnant, conceive, bring forth, produce”), from ēacen (“increased, augmented”), from ēaca (“an addition, increase, eeking”), from Proto-Germanic *aukô (“increase”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewg- (“to increase”). More at eke.

Ean · proper noun²

1. Manx · borrowed fromEan
2. English todayEan

From Manx Ean, an equivalent of John.

Words from the same roots