er-

From Proto-West Germanic *uʀ-, from Proto-Germanic *uz- in unstressed positions. The Middle Dutch er- prefix mostly merged with ver- and her- in Modern Dutch. The current prefix is therefore either a direct continuation of this prefix or loaned from Old High German ir-, Middle High German er-. A prefix with the same origin but in stressed positions is oor-.

• IPA^(key): /ər/, /ɛr/

• Audio:

  (file)

er-

1. inseparable verbal prefix that indicates the cause or beginning of an action

• erachten
• erbarmen
• erbieden
• erdenken
• erdichten
• erduchten
• erkennen
• erlangen
• ervaren

From Middle High German er-, from Old High German ir-, from Proto-West Germanic *uʀ-, from Proto-Germanic *uz- (“up, out”). Cognate with Old Saxon ā-, English a-. Doublet of ur-. Compare the use of English up in various verb constructions to emphasize a result, such as rustle up, work up, etc.

• IPA^(key): /ɛɐ̯/ (standard)
• IPA^(key): /ɛ/, /ɐ/ (common speech)

• Audio:

  (file)

er-

1. Inseparable verbal prefix emphasizing a result of the action of the verb:
   1. Inseparable verbal prefix that indicates a successful conclusion, leads to the wanted result.

      ‎er- + ‎wachsen (“to grow”) → ‎erwachsen (“to arise”)

   2. Inseparable verbal prefix that indicates killing or dying.

      ‎er- + ‎drücken (“to push, squeeze”) → ‎erdrücken (“to squeeze dead”)

      ‎er- + ‎frieren (“to freeze”) → ‎erfrieren (“to freeze to death”)

   3. Inseparable verbal prefix that indicates getting something by some means, usually through conscious effort.

      ‎er- + ‎arbeiten (“to work”) → ‎erarbeiten (“to gain something by means of working for it”)

• In sense 3, the prefix is of almost unlimited productivity, provided that the underlying verb has initial stress. Such random constructs as sich etwas ertanzen (“to get something by dancing”), sich etwas erkuscheln (“to get something by cuddling”), etwas ergoogeln (“to find information by googling it”), etc., are all possible and intelligible.

From German er-, from Old High German ir-, and/or from Middle Low German er-, from Old Saxon ā-, both from Proto-Germanic *uz-.

er-

1. Inseparable verbal prefix that indicates an emphasizing meaning

• -re, re-

From Proto-Tocharian *er- (whence also Tocharian A ar-), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (“to move, stir”).

er-

1. to evoke, call up
2. to produce, yield, bring forth

• Adams, Douglas Q. (2013) “er-”, in A Dictionary of Tocharian B: Revised and Greatly Enlarged (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 10), Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, →ISBN, pages 98-99

i-affected form of ar-.

er-

1. on, above, sur-, super-, epi-

   ‎er- + ‎glynu (“to attach”) → ‎erlyn (“to pursue, prosecute”)

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “er-”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies