Cern
/sɜːrn/noun
An archaic verb meaning to perceive, distinguish, or discern.
Did you know?Cern shares its ancient root with “crisis,” which originally meant a decisive separation or judgment—not merely a catastrophe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*krei-
“To separate, sift, or distinguish”
Ancient Greek
Greek
krīnō
“To separate, decide, judge, or distinguish”
Classical Latin
Latin
cernō
“I separate, distinguish, perceive, or decide”
Late Latin
Latin
cernere
“To discern, determine, or make a judgment”
Middle English
English
cernen
“To discern or perceive”
Modern English
English
cern
“An archaic verb meaning to distinguish or discern”