English word origin

Etymology of anear

From a- (“away, off, from, of”) + near (adverb), perhaps partly after afar, anew, etc. Compare earlier (as adverb) anigh.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 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 ↗

adv

Nearly.

prep

Near.

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

From a- (“away, off, from, of”) + near (adverb), perhaps partly after afar, anew, etc. Compare earlier (as adverb) anigh.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "prefix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "a<t:away, off, from, of>",
        "3": "near<pos:adverb>"
      },
      "expansion": "a- (“away, off, from, of”) + near (adverb)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "a-",
      "a-#English"
    ],
    [
      "near",
      "near#English"
    ],
    [
      "afar",
      "afar#English"
    ],
    [
      "anew",
      "anew#English"
    ],
    [
      "anigh",
      "anigh#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adv",
      "glosses": [
        "Nearly."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1341837
    },
    {
      "pos": "prep",
      "glosses": [
        "Near."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "d2c2f9ec0e08fae362e333bbc2b480ee12c20f3be2f15ff58ecd91e5f121ca9d",
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    }
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To approach.

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

From a- (“onward, away”; intensifying prefix) + near (verb). Compare Middle English aneiȝen.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Cognate mentionaneiȝenenm

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "m-g",
      "args": {
        "1": "onward, away"
      },
      "expansion": "“onward, away”"
    },
    {
      "name": "prefix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "a<pos:“onward, away”; intensifying prefix>",
        "3": "near<pos:verb>"
      },
      "expansion": "a- (“onward, away”; intensifying prefix) + near (verb)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "aneiȝen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English aneiȝen"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "a-",
      "a-#English"
    ],
    [
      "near",
      "near#English"
    ],
    [
      "aneiȝen",
      "aneiȝen#Middle_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To approach."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
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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 anear →

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-YW5lYXI