English
northern
Northern comes from Old English norþerne, from Proto-Germanic *nurþraz ‘north’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nér ‘below’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*nér‘under’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*nurþraz‘north’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*nurþrōnijazreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*norþrōnī‘northern’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150norþerne
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500northerne
- Englishearliest quotation 1993northern
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*nér‘under’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*nurþraz‘north’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*nurþrōnijazreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*norþrōnī‘northern’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150norþerne
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500northerne
- Englishearliest quotation 1993northern
Earliest quotation: 1993, Barry Reynolds, John Berryman: “As is the case with northerns, the female muskie,…”
Formed from north + -ern
Proto-Indo-European *nér ‘below (the surface)’
…
Proto-Germanic *nurþrą ‘north’
Proto-West Germanic *norþr ‘northern’
Old English norþ
Middle English north ‘north’
English north
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *nér
Today it means
adj Of, facing, situated in, or related to the north; northerly.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *nér / northern