yern

Meanings

Adjective

• Willing, eager, covetous, swift, nimble, earnest.

Adverb

• eagerly, heartily, gladly, willingly, earnestly.

Origin

• From Middle English yern ("willing, eager"), from Old English ġeorn ("eager"), from Proto-West Germanic *gern, from Proto-Germanic *gernaz.
• Cognate with Danish gerne ("gladly"), Dutch gaarne ("with pleasure, gladly"), German gern ("willingly, gladly"), Icelandic gjarn ("willing, keen, eager"), Icelandic gjarna ("willingly, readily, gladdly"), Swedish gärna ("willingly, gladly"). See also yearnful and yearnfully.