Yern

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have a strong desire or longing for something, especially with a sense of wistfulness
2. To feel an aching desire or heartfelt wish for something absent or unattainable
3. To experience an earnest yearning or emotional pull toward something wanted or missed

Etymology: The word "yern" is a dialect or archaic form of "yearn," which in older English meant simply "eager" or "willing" rather than the longing sense it carries today. It descends from Old English "georn," meaning "eager," which traces back through Proto-West Germanic and Proto-Germanic to a root that gave German "gern" ("gladly"), Dutch "gaarne," Danish "gerne," and Swedish "gärna," all still used to mean "gladly" or "with pleasure." That gives the word a cheerful origin. Its earliest sense was closer to willingness than to ache: someone who was "yern" to do something was happy and ready to do it. The later meaning of strong, wistful desire grew out of that eagerness, so the modern sense of yearning is a shift from readiness toward longing.