English
Ernest
Ernest comes from Old High German ernust ‘vigor, strife’, from Proto-Germanic *ernustuz ‘seriousness’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *Her-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*Her-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*arniz‘efficient, capable, diligent, sure’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ernustuz‘seriousness’reconstructedderivative of *arniz
- Old High Germanc. 750–1050ernust‘vigor, strife’
- Englishearliest quotation 1895Ernest
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*Her-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*arniz‘efficient, capable, diligent, sure’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*ernustuz‘seriousness’reconstructedderivative of *arniz
- Old High Germanc. 750–1050ernust‘vigor, strife’
- Englishearliest quotation 1895Ernest
Earliest quotation: 1895, Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest […]: “GWENDOLEN. […] and my ideal has always been to…”
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *arniz ‘efficient, capable, diligent, sure’
through Proto-Germanic *ernustuz ‘seriousness’
Today it means
name A male given name from the Germanic languages; popular in the 19th century.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *Her- / Ernest