Outer Ear
/ˌaʊ.tər ˈɪər/noun
The visible and external portion of the ear, including the auricle and ear canal, that collects sound.
Did you know?The word “ear” is distantly related to English “audio,” “audit,” and “audition,” all tracing back to an ancient Indo-European root connected with hearing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eus-
“To hear; the reconstructed ancient root associated with the sense of hearing.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*auzōn
“Ear; the ancestral Germanic form that developed into the modern English word.”
Old English
Old English
ēare
“Ear, the organ of hearing.”
Old English
Old English
ūtera
“Outer or more external; the comparative form of “out.””
Middle English
Middle English
outer ere
“The external ear; a descriptive phrase combining “outer” with “ear.””
Modern English
English
outer ear
“The external sound-collecting part of the human ear.”