yean

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂egʷnós“lamb”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*gaaunōn
3. Old English · inherited from*ġeēanian
4. Middle English · inherited from*yenen
5. English todayyean

From Middle English *yenen, ȝenen, eanen, from Old English *ġeēanian, ēanian (“to yean, bring forth young (usually lambs), bring forth as a ewe”) (for the prefixed form, compare Old English ġeēan, ġeēane (“yeaning”, adjective)), from Proto-West Germanic *gaaunōn, *aunōn (“to yean, lamb”), from *aunōną (“to yean, lamb”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʷnós (“lamb”). Cognate with Scots yean (“to yean”), Saterland Frisian bejänne (“to produce; show signs of calving”), West Frisian antsje, eandsje, inje (“to yean”), Dutch onen (“to yean”), Swedish öna (“to yean”, dialectal). Akin also to Latin agnus, Ancient Greek ἀμνός (amnós), Old Irish úan (“lamb”). See also ean.