Etymograph

English

tern

Tern comes from Proto-West Germanic *þewernā ‘handmaid, young girl’, from *þeu ‘servant, slave’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *þewaz.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þewaz‘servant, slave’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þeu‘servant, slave’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*þewernā‘handmaid, young girl’reconstructed
  4. Old Norsec. 800–1350þerna
  5. Englishtodaytern

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þewaz‘servant, slave’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þeu‘servant, slave’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*þewernā‘handmaid, young girl’reconstructed
  4. Old Norsec. 800–1350þerna
  5. Englishtodaytern

first attested First attested in the 1670s (as stated in the etymology)

The story

Via an East Anglian dialect, from some Scandinavian (North Germanic) language, related to Danish terne, Norwegian terne, and Swedish tärna, all from Old Norse þerna (‘tern; maidservant’), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *þewernā (‘handmaid, young girl’). First attested in the 1670s.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *tekʷ- ‘to run’

bostock, 4 more

Today it means

noun Any of various seabirds of the subfamily Sterninae (of the family Laridae) that are similar to gulls but are smaller and have a forked tail.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *þewaz / tern

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