þerna

• IPA^(key): /ˈθɛrtna/
• Rhymes: -ɛrtna

Inherited from Old Norse þerna.

þerna f (genitive singular þernu, nominative plural þernur)

1. maid, girl, female servant
2. attendant, stewardess

From Old Norse þerna.

þerna f (genitive singular þernu, nominative plural þernur)

1. tern

• kría (“arctic tern”)

Related to sense 2 (“maid servant”).

þerna f

2. tern

• Icelandic: þerna
• Faroese: terna
• Norwegian Bokmål: terne m or f
• Norwegian Nynorsk: terne f
• Swedish: tärna c
• Danish: tærne c

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “þerna”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 510; also available at the Internet Archive
• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “tern”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Borrowed from Old Saxon thiorna.

þerna f

2. maidservant

• Icelandic: þerna
• Faroese: terna
• Norwegian:
  • Norwegian Bokmål: terne m or f
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: terne f
• Old Swedish: thærna
  • Swedish: tärna c
• Danish: tærne
• →? Middle English: therne, thierne, tharne, tarne
  • >? English: tern, tarn

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “þerna”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 510; also available at the Internet Archive