æcer
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *akraz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵros (“field”). Cognate with Ancient Greek ᾰ̓γρός (agrós), Latin ager, Sanskrit ájra.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈæ.ker/
Noun
æcer m
- field (specifically one used to grow crops or hold farm animals)
- c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English
- Æcras faraþ on sumore, swā swā sǣ ȳðiġende.
- Fields move in the summer, rippling like the sea.
- late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans
- On his æcre hē ēode and his sulh on handa hæfde.
- He was walking in his field with his hand to his plow.
- c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 12:1
- Sē Hǣlend fōr on restedæġ ofer æcras. Sōðlīċe his leornungcneohtas hyngrede, and hīe ongunnon pluccian þā ēar and etan.
- Jesus was walking through fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began plucking ears of corn and eating them.
- c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English
- acre (measure of land)
- early 11th century, anonymous gloss of Ælfric's Latin Colloquy (c. 995)
- Ǣlċe dæġe iċ sċeal erian fulne æcer oþþe mā.
- Every day I have to plow a full acre or more.
- early 11th century, anonymous gloss of Ælfric's Latin Colloquy (c. 995)
Declension
Declension of æcer (strong a-stem)
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
nominative | æcer | æcras |
accusative | æcer | æcras |
genitive | æcres | æcra |
dative | æcre | æcrum |
Derived terms
- fleaxæcer
Descendants
- Middle English: aker, acre
- English: acre
- Norwegian Bokmål: acre
- Scots: acre, acker, ackre, accre, aacre, awker
- Yola: aager
- English: acre
- Norman: acre