Etymology: In sense 1 apparently < east adv. + -en suffix⁴. Compare Old Frisian āsta eastern, Middle Dutch oosten from the east. In sense 2 probably < easten (in easten-wind n. at easten adv. 1), apparently reanalysed as east adv. + -en suffix⁴; for a parallel development in other Germanic languages see discussion at easten adv. In Shetland use probably ultimately < the unattested Norn reflex of the early Scandinavian word represented by Old Icelandic austan easten adv. Compare northen adj., southen adj., westen adj.Earlier currency of sense 1 in Scots is implied by J. Leyden's comment in the glossary to his 1801 edition of Complaynt Scotl. (see quot. c1550 at sense 2) that estin represents a ‘common pronunciation’ of eastern (presumably in Roxburghshire, Leyden's native county; compare quot. 1923 at sense 1). The non-Scots examples at sense 1 are problematic: several may show transmission errors; in quot. 1773 probably a representation of a non-rhotic pronunciation of eastern adj. With easten sea n. at Compounds compare westen sea n. at westen adj. Compounds, southen sea n. at southen adj. Compounds.

Etymology: Cognate with Middle Dutch oosten from the east, Old Saxon ōstana , ōstan from the east (Middle Low German ōsten to the east), Old High German ōstana (also ōstanān ) from the east (Middle High German ōsten , ōstene in or to the east (also ōstenān from the east)), Old Icelandic austan from the east, Old Swedish östan from, in, or to the east (Swedish östan , now archaic), Old Danish østen from, in, or to the east (Danish østen , now archaic or regional) < the Germanic base of east adv. + a Germanic suffix forming adverbs expressing motion ‘from’ (see nethen adv.). In sense 2 perhaps after use in phrases. Use as a noun (in sense ‘the east’) is attested as a later development in several Germanic languages (compare the forms listed at east adv., adj., and n.¹). Compare be-east adv. and prep., and also northen adv., southen adv., westen adv.In Old English two distinct words: ēastane (rare, only in the translation of Orosius Hist.) and ēastan ; compare parallel formations among the Germanic cognates cited above. With Old English ēastan-wind compare Middle Dutch oostenwint (Dutch oostenwind ), Middle Low German ōstenwint , Old High German ōstanwint , Old Icelandic austanvindr , Swedish östanvind , Danish østenvind ; in later use frequently with the first element reanalysed either as noun or adjective (compare easten adj.).