English word origin

Etymology of -n

From Middle English -n, from Old English -n, rare alternative form of Old English -en (“-en”). More at -en.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

suffix

Alternative form of -en.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English -n, from Old English -n, rare alternative form of Old English -en (“-en”). More at -en.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mention-nenm
Inherited-form mention-nang
Cognate mention-enang · -en

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-n"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -n"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-n"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -n"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "-en",
        "t": "-en"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -en (“-en”)"
    }
  ],
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    [
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      "-en",
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    ]
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  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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        "Alternative form of -en."
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

suffix

Alternative form of -an, adjective or noun suffix meaning "of or pertaining to", used with words which already end in a.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

No narrative was extracted for this section. Available source templates and references appear below; no ancestor chain has been invented to fill the gap.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-n<id:pertaining to>",
        "id": "pertaining to",
        "tree": "1"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-n<id:pertaining to>",
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      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
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  "references": [],
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  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of -an, adjective or noun suffix meaning \"of or pertaining to\", used with words which already end in a."
      ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

suffix

Alternative form of -en (past participle ending).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English -n, -en, from Old English -n, -en and Old Norse -inn, both from Proto-Germanic *-anaz, *-inaz, past participle ending of strong verbs. Cognate with Dutch -en, German -en, Swedish -en, Icelandic -inn.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mention-nenm
Inherited-form mention-nang
Derivation mention-innnon
Inherited-form mention*-anazgem-pro
Cognate mention-ennl
Cognate mention-ende
Cognate mention-ensv
Cognate mention-innis

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "en",
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        "3": "-n"
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    },
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    },
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    },
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        "2": "gem-pro",
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      },
      "expansion": "German -en"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "-en"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish -en"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "-inn"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic -inn"
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    ],
    [
      "-en",
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    ],
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      "-n",
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    ],
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    ],
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      "-en",
      "-en#German"
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for -n →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-LW4