errand
/ˈɛrənd/
noun
Origin
Old English
ǣrende — message, news, or mission
Overview
Meaning Now
- A short journey undertaken in order to deliver or collect something, or to perform a task for someone else.
- The purpose or object of such a journey; a mission or task.
Literal older meaning
message or mission
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
ǣrende
Earliest period
Old English (before 12th century)
Journey
The word originally carried a more formal weight in Old English, often referring to official business or a message conveyed by a royal or divine messenger. Over centuries, the scope shifted from the communication itself to the act of traveling to accomplish a functional task.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*airundijō
“message, errand”
- Old English
ǣrende
“message, business, errand”
Used frequently for divine or official commissions.
- Middle English
erende
“a task or mission”
Semantic narrowing from 'message' to 'task performed via a journey'.
- Modern English
errand
“short trip for a task”
Standardized to current spelling and usage.
Connections
Word parts
errand
root
task or message
Related across languages
Old High German
ārunti
message, errand
Old Norse
erindi
message, errand, business
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Related to errand
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.