Ear
/ɪər/noun
The organ of hearing and balance.
Did you know?English ear comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to hear,” showing that the name of the body part and the act of listening were linked from the very beginning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱous- / *h₂ous-
“to hear”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*ausō
“ear”
Old English
English
ēare
“ear”
Middle English
English
er
“ear”
Modern English
English
ear
“the organ of hearing and balance”