earn English · revision 4934

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 888|origins=ine-pro *es-en-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ɜːn/, US /ɝːn/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|ernen]], [[inh|ang|earnian|t=to deserve, labour for, get a reward for labour]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[gem-pro|*aznōną|alt=*aznon|t=to do harvest work]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) a verb from *azno “labour, especially field work”,^(Etymonline) the source of Old Norse ǫnn “work in the field”, Old High German arnōn “to reap” and German Ernte “harvest”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) It is related to Old English esne “labourer”^(Hoad 1986)^(Etymonline) and Gothic asans “harvest”,^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) and is from [[ine-pro|*es-en-|t=harvest, autumn]], which gave Russian osen “autumn”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ To get as a reward for labour, to render work in return for something: about 888 in the OED, before 899 in Barnhart, in Alfred's Boethius.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Of qualities or actions, to bring something as a consequence, such as a reputation, is from 1596.^(OED 1989) To work for a reward is from 1589.^(OED 1989) Of money invested, to produce interest, is from 1887.^(OED 1989) In baseball an ''earned run'' is from 1880.^(OED 1989) The spelling earn was gradually adopted in the 1600s.^(Barnhart 1988) In northern dialect earn meant to glean, keeping the old “harvest” sense.^(OED 1989)^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 888 – to gain by labour.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1589 – to work for a reward.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1596 – to bring as a consequence.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1880 – an earned run in baseball.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1887 – of money, to yield interest.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To get [[money]] in return for work.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To get something that one deserves because of one's actions or qualities.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of an investment, to produce [[profit]] or [[interest]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[earner]]

+ * [[unearned]]

+ * [[earnings]]

+ * [[nonearning]]

+ * [[outearn]]

+ * [[reearn]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The AHD groups earn with ''deserve'', ''merit'', ''rate'' and ''win'', verbs meaning to gain something as a result of one's behaviour or effort.^(AHD) A different earn, now dialect, means to curdle milk (1674),^(OED 1989)^(Wright 1898) and another, “to yearn” (1579), is probably an alteration of [[yearn]].^(OED 1989)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}