Etymology

pirn

P3I1R1N1

Today it means: A cone-shaped spool or bobbin on which thread or yarn is wound, used most often for weaving. Full definition →

Old English preon ← Proto-Germanic *preunaz
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The story

  1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*preunaz“knitting needle”
  2. Old English · derived frompreon
  3. English todaypirn

Perhaps from prin (“twig, shoot”), variant of prene (“spike, nail”), from Old English preon, from Proto-Germanic *preunaz (“knitting needle”).

Words from the same roots

Old Englishpreon all →

preen

Proto-Germanic*preunaz all →

preen

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.