Earn

[urn] /ɜrn/

verb (used with object)
1.
to gain or get in return for one’s labor or service:
to earn one’s living.
2.
to merit as compensation, as for service; deserve:
to receive more than one has earned.
3.
to acquire through merit:
to earn a reputation for honesty.
4.
to gain as due return or profit:
Savings accounts earn interest.
5.
to bring about or cause deservedly:
His fair dealing earned our confidence.
verb (used without object)
6.
to gain income:
securities that earn on a quarterly basis.
[urn] /ɜrn/
verb (used without object), Obsolete.
1.
to grieve.
/ɜːn/
verb
1.
to gain or be paid (money or other payment) in return for work or service
2.
(transitive) to acquire, merit, or deserve through behaviour or action: he has earned a name for duplicity
3.
(transitive) (of securities, investments, etc) to gain (interest, return, profit, etc)
v.

Old English earnian “deserve, earn, merit, win, get a reward for labor,” from Proto-Germanic *aznojan (cf. Old Frisian esna “reward, pay”), from *azna “labor” especially “field labor” (cf. Old Norse önn “work in the field”), from PIE *aznon “to do harvest work, serve” (cf. Old High German arnon “to reap”), denominative verb from *es-en- “harvest, fall” (cf. 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.

networking
European Academic and Research Network.
(1995-11-15)