KJV Dictionary Definition: er

er

ER, the termination of many English words, is the Teutonic form of the Latin or; the one contracted from wer, the other from vir, a man. It denotes an agent, originally of the masculine gender, but now applied to men or things indifferently; as in farmer, heater, grater. At the end names of places, er signifies a man of the place; Londoner is the same as London-man.

There is a passage in Herodotus, Melpomene, 110, in which the word wer, vir, a man, is mentioned as used by the Scythians; a fact proving the affinity of the Scythian and the Teutonic nations.

"The Scythians call the Amazons Oiorpata, a word which may be rendered, in Greek, menkillers; for oior is the name they give to man, pata signifies to kill." Pata, in the Burman language, signifies to kill; but it is probable that this is really the English beat.

ere

ERE, adv. Before; sooner than.

Ere sails were spread new oceans to explore.

The nobleman saith to him, Sir, come down ere my child die. John 4.

In these passages, ere is really a preposition, followed by a sentence, instead of a single word, as below.

ERE, prep. Before.

Our fruitful Nile

Flow'd ere the wonted season.

erring

ER'RING, ppr. Wandering from the truth or the right way; mistaking; irregular.