Origin and history of erne

masc. proper name, from Old High German Arenwald, literally "having the strength of an eagle," from arn "eagle," from Proto-Germanic *aron- "eagle" (from PIE root *or- "large bird;" see erne) + wald "power" (from PIE root *wal- "to be strong").

"very large diurnal raptorial bird of the genus Aquila," mid-14c., from Old French egle, from Old Provençal aigla, from Latin aquila "black eagle," fem. of aquilus "eagle," often explained as "the dark colored" (bird); see aquiline. The native term was erne.

Golf score sense is by 1908 (according to old golf sources, because it "soars higher" than a birdie). As the name of a U.S. $10 coin minted from 1792 to 1933, established in the 1786 resolution for a new monetary system (but at first only the desperately needed small copper coins were minted). The figurative eagle-eyed "sharp-sighted" (like an eagle) is attested from c. 1600.

before vowels ornith-, word-forming element meaning "bird, birds," from combining form of Greek ornis (genitive ornithos; plural ornithēs) "a bird," in Attic generally "domestic fowl, cock or hen," which often was added to the specific name of the type of bird, from PIE *or- "large bird" (see erne).

For "bird" Greek also had ptēnon (plural peteina), related to pteron "wing," from the root meaning "to fly."