ert

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂erd-“sharp point, stinger”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*artijaną“to excite, tease”
3. Old Norse · derived fromerta“to provoke, incite, tease”
4. Middle English · derived fromerten
5. English todayert

From Middle English erten, ertin, from Old Norse erta (“to provoke, incite, tease”), from Proto-Germanic *artijaną (“to excite, tease”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erd- (“sharp point, stinger”). Cognate with Icelandic erta (“to irritate”), Norwegian erta (“to taunt”), Swedish ärta (“to tease, jibe”), Old Irish aird (“point, ord, end point”), Ancient Greek ἄρδις (árdis, “arrowhead”).