English word yarn comes from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁u-, and later Proto-Germanic *garnō (Intestines, gut.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *ǵʰreh₁u- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *garnō | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Intestines, gut. |
| *garną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Yarn. |
| ġearn | Old English (ang) | |
| gearn | Old English (ang) | Yarn. |
| yarn | Middle English (enm) | |
| yarn | English (en) | To tell a story or stories. (countable) A story, a tale, especially one that is incredible.. (nautical) Bundles of fibers twisted together, and which in turn are twisted in bundles to form strands, which in their turn are twisted or plaited to form rope.. (uncountable) A twisted strand of fiber used for knitting or weaving. |