English word origin

Etymology of an-

From Middle English an-, from Old English an-, on- (“on-”), from Proto-West Germanic *ana-, from Proto-Germanic *ana- (“on”). More at on.

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 4 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 ↗

prefix

Alternative form of on-.

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

From Middle English an-, from Old English an-, on- (“on-”), from Proto-West Germanic *ana-, from Proto-Germanic *ana- (“on”). More at on.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Root classification mention*h₂en-ine-pro
Inherited-form mentionan-enm
Inherited-form mentionan-ang
Inherited-form mention*ana-gmw-pro
Derivation mention*ana-gem-pro

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    },
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      "args": {
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        "2": "enm",
        "3": "an-"
      },
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    },
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        "2": "ang",
        "3": "an-"
      },
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    },
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    },
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    }
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      "an-",
      "an-#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "an-",
      "an-#Old_English"
    ],
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      "on-#Old_English"
    ],
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      "*ana-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/ana-"
    ],
    [
      "*ana-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ana-"
    ],
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      "on",
      "on#English"
    ]
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        "Alternative form of on-."
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

prefix

not; used to make words that have a sense opposite to the word (or stem) to which the prefix is attached. Used with stems that begin with vowels and "h". · Without, lacking.

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

From Ancient Greek ἀν- (an-). Doublet of un- and in-.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Derivation mentionἀν-grc

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      },
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    },
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    },
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    ],
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    ]
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

prefix

Alternative form of ana-.

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

From Ancient Greek ἀνα- (ana-), from ἀνά (aná, “on, up, above, throughout”). Doublet of on-.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Derivation mentionἀνα-grc
Doublet mentionon-en

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    },
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    ],
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      "on-",
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

prefix

Alternative form of ad- (“to, toward”).

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

Assimilated form of ad- before n. From Latin ad-.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Derivation mentionad-la

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "ad-",
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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 an- →

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-YW4t