learn
UK[lɜːn]US[lɝːn]
v
To gain knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, being taught, or experiencing something.
v
To become aware of something by hearing about it from someone else or reading about it.
Etymology
The verb "learn" originates from the Old English "leornian," meaning "to get knowledge, be cultivated, study, read, or think about." This Old English term is derived from the Proto-Germanic "liznojan," which carries a sense of "to follow or find a track." This root is ultimately connected to the Proto-Indo-European base "leis-," meaning "track" or "furrow." The fascinating semantic journey, therefore, is from the concrete idea of following a physical path to the abstract process of following a path of knowledge. The modern sense of acquiring knowledge or skill evolved from this core concept of pursuing a course of study, much like one would follow a trail.
Analysis
The word "learn" is a simplex word of Old English origin. It is not productively divisible into smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern English.
Examples
Children learn to walk at different ages.
She is learning Spanish for her upcoming trip.
I was sorry to learn of your grandmother's passing.