Etymograph

English

terne

Terne comes from Old French terne ‘dim, dull’, from Frankish *darnī ‘concealed, hidden’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰerg-root as named
  2. Frankishc. 250–700*darnī‘concealed, hidden’reconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400terne‘dim, dull’
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentterne
  5. Englishtodayterne

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰerg-root as named
  2. Frankishc. 250–700*darnī‘concealed, hidden’reconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400terne‘dim, dull’
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentterne
  5. Englishtodayterne

The story

Borrowed from French terne, from Middle French, from Old French terne (‘dim, dull’), from Frankish *darnī (‘concealed, hidden; secret’); further etymology unknown, perhaps related to Proto-West Germanic *derk (‘dark; dirty’), perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (‘to darken, dim’).uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg-

dark

Today it means

adj Colourless, drab, dull.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- / terne

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