east
east adv. OE.; sb. (OE. ēaste fem.); adj. (in OE. only compar. ēast(er)ra, superl. ēast(e)mest). OE. ēast- in comps. (e.g. ēastende eastern region, Ēastangle East-Anglians) = OFris. āst, OS., OHG. ōst (Du. oost, G. ost), repr. Gmc. *austa- (with suffix *-nō- in OE. ēastan, OS., OHG. ōstana, ON. austan from the east); as adv. prob. shortening of *ēaster = OS., OHG. ōstar, ON. austr toward the east :- Gmc. *austra-, which is found in the proper names Ēstranglī (Bede) East-Anglians, OHG. Ōstarrīhi (G. Österreich) Austria; f. IE. base *aus-, as in L. aurōra (:- *ausōsā), Gr. (Aeolic) aúōs, Lith. aušrà, Skr. uşā́- dawn.
So †easter eastern. XIV–XIX. perh. continuing OE. compar. ēasterra. Hence prob. easterly XVI. eastern. OE. ēasterne = OS., OHG. ōstroni, ON. austrœnn :- Gmc. *austrōnja-, eastward adv. toward the east. OE. ēastewearde; hence as adj. XV.
So †easter eastern. XIV–XIX. perh. continuing OE. compar. ēasterra. Hence prob. easterly XVI. eastern. OE. ēasterne = OS., OHG. ōstroni, ON. austrœnn :- Gmc. *austrōnja-, eastward adv. toward the east. OE. ēastewearde; hence as adj. XV.
More From encyclopedia.com
NEARBY TERMS
east
