English
Ernesta
Ernesta comes from Italian Ernesta.
- Italianc. 1300–presentErnesta
- Englishearliest quotation 1910same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Italianc. 1300–presentErnesta
- Englishearliest quotation 1910same form
Earliest quotation: 1910, Obituary Notes: “Mrs. ERNESTA STEVENS CARLETON. wife of Dr. Spencer Carleton,…”
Equivalent to Ernest + -a
Proto-Indo-European *Her-
Proto-Germanic *arniz ‘efficient, capable, diligent, sure’
Proto-Germanic *ernustuz ‘seriousness’
Old High German ernust ‘vigor, strife’
English Ernest
Every English word from Italian Ernesta
Today it means
name A female given name from Italian, masculine equivalent Ernest.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Italian Ernesta / Ernesta