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Origin and history of esne

esne(n.)

Old English esne "domestic slave, laborer, retainer, servant; youth, man," from Proto-Germanic *asnjoz- "harvestman" (source also of Gothic asneis), from *asanoz- "harvest" (see earn).

Entries linking to esne

earn(v.)

Old English earnian "deserve, earn, merit, labor for, win, get a reward for labor," from Proto-Germanic *aznon "do harvest work, serve" (source also of Old Frisian esna "reward, pay"), denominative verb from *azno "labor" especially "field labor" (source of Old Norse önn "work in the field," Old High German arnon "to reap").

This is reconstructed in Watkins to be from PIE *es-en- "harvest, fall" (source also of Old High German aren "harvest, crop," German Ernte "harvest," Old English ern "harvest," Gothic asans "harvest, summer," Old Church Slavonic jeseni, Russian osen, Old Prussian assanis "autumn"). Also from the same root are Gothic asneis, Old High German esni "hired laborer, day laborer," Old English esne "serf, laborer, man." Related: Earned; earning.

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