Pronounced: ah-fort-tee-OR-ee (alt: ay-for-shee-OR-eye), adv
Notes: Not a phrase I recognize
Yesterday’s word
The word erne means “eagle; especially a long-winged sea eagle witha short white wedge-shaped tail (Häliaetus albicilla)”
First usage
Our word came into English before 1000
Background / Comments
Our word came from the Middle English word ern/arn, which came from the Old English earn, which is related to the Old High German word arn/arne, which traces back to Greek órnīs (bird). Here are some bird names in Old English — the basic name is still the same over 1,000 years, even if the spelling has changed a bit: earn (erne), crāwe (crow), finc (finch), wrenna (wren), ūle (owl), spearwa (sparrow).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 