Today’s word is yearn, because by now I’m yearning for the
end of this month.
Yearn comes from the Old English giernan/geornan/giorna, to strive, be
eager, beg, demand, things like that. It comes from the Proto Germanic gernjan, to desire, and Proto Indo European gher-, to like/want. Apparently it’s related to the word “hortatory”, which is encouraging someone, not a place to keep whores,
and also the second word in as many days that I’ve never heard of. Anyone
got any sentences for that one?
Sources
Tony Jebson’s page on the Origins of Old English
