yearn

yearn · verb, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gʰer-“to yearn for”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*girnijaną“to desire, want”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*girnijan“to be eager for, desire”
4. Old English · inherited fromġeornan“to desire, yearn; to beg”
5. Middle English · inherited fromyernen
6. English todayyearn

The verb is derived from Middle English yernen, yern (“to express or feel desire; to desire, long or wish for; to lust after; to ask or demand for”) [and other forms], from Old English ġeornan (“to desire, yearn; to beg”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *girnijan (“to be eager for, desire”), from Proto-Germanic *girnijaną (“to desire, want”), from *gernaz (“eager, willing”) (from Proto-Indo-European *gʰer- (“to yearn for”)) + *-janą (suffix forming factitive verbs from adjectives). The noun is derived from the verb.

yearn · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₃er-“to move, stir; to rise, spring”
2. Old Norse · derived fromrinna“to move quickly, run; of liquid: to flow, run; to melt”
3. Old English · inherited fromrinnan“to run”
4. Middle English · inherited fromerne
5. English todayyearn

Probably either: * a variant of earn (“to curdle, as milk”) (though this word is attested later), from Middle English erne, ernen (“to coagulate, congeal”) (chiefly South Midlands) [and other forms], a metathetic variant of rennen (“to run; to coagulate, congeal”), from Old English rinnan (“to run”) (with the variants iernan, irnan) and Old Norse rinna (“to move quickly, run; of liquid: to flow, run; to melt”), both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (“to move, stir; to rise, spring”); or * a back-formation from yearning (“(Scotland, archaic) rennet; calf (or other animal’s) stomach used to make rennet”).

Words from the same roots