Middle English word herne comes from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-, Proto-Indo-European *ḱrū-, Latin crescendum, and later Proto-Germanic *hurną (Horn.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *ḱerh₂- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *ḱrū- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | horn |
| crescendum | Latin (lat) | |
| *ḱr̥- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *hurną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Horn. |
| *hurnijǭ | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | A little horn; hook. An angle; corner; nook. |
| herne | Old Frisian (ofs) | |
| hyrni | Old Norse (non) | |
| hyrne | Old English (ang) | Angle. Corner. Horn. |
| herne | Middle English (enm) |