Etymologically
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ear

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The ear that hears and the ear of grain are different Old English words.[1][2]

Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /ɪə/, US /ɪr/[3]

ear1 organ of hearing

Etymology

The organ of hearing is inherited from Middle English ere, inherited from Old English ēare,[4][2][5] from Proto-Germanic *auzon, the source also of Dutch oor, German Ohr and Gothic ausō,[4][2][6] from Proto-Indo-European *ous-, the source also of Latin auris, Greek oûs and Lithuanian ausìs.[4][6][2] French oreille and Spanish oreja come from the Latin diminutive auricula.[4][2] It is related to aural.[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The external ear: before 1000 in the OED.[7][2]

Semantic evolution

The ability to recognise musical sounds is from the 1520s, hence play by ear from the 1670s.[4] The handle of a pitcher is from the mid-15th century.[4] Walls have ears is attested from the 1610s,[4] and wet behind the ears, naive, from 1902 in American English.[4] The compounds earring (Old English ēarhring), earmark (before 1460) and earshot (1607) all come from it.[2]

Timeline

  • a. 1000 – the outer ear.[7]
  • 1520s – an ear for music.[4]
  • 1610s – walls have ears.[4]
  • 1670s – play by ear.[4]
  • 1902 – wet behind the ears.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The organ of hearing and balance.
  2. The outer part of this organ on the side of the head.
  3. The ability to hear or to recognise fine differences in sound: an ear for music.
  4. Attention: to lend an ear.
  5. Something shaped like an ear, such as a handle.

ear2 spike of grain

Etymology

The ear of grain is inherited from Middle English ere, inherited from Old English ēar (Northumbrian æhher),[4][2][5] from Proto-Germanic *akhuz, the source also of Dutch aar, German Ähre and Gothic ahs,[4][6][2] from Proto-Indo-European *ak- (“sharp, pointed”), the source also of Latin acus “chaff, husk” and Greek akostḗ “barley”.[4][6] It is related to edge.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A spike or head of corn: before 800 in the OED.[7][2]

Semantic evolution

In North America it is used of a head of maize from 1622.[7] The verb, of corn, to come into ear, is from 1442.[7]

Timeline

  • a. 800 – a head of corn.[7]
  • 1442 – verb, to come into ear.[7]
  • 1622 – an ear of maize.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The part of a cereal plant, such as wheat or maize, that holds the seeds.

Verb

  1. To form ears.
  • aural
  • earring
  • earmark
  • earshot

Usage notes

A third word ear, “to plough”, from Old English erian and related to Latin arāre, is now archaic and dialectal.[8][5][7]

References

  1. ^ a b Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press