*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of outen

From Middle English outen, uten, from Old English ūtan (“from outside, on the outside, without”), from Proto-West Germanic *ūtanā, from Proto-Germanic *ūtanē (“from without, outside of”), from Proto-Indo-European *úd (“u

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 ↗
prep

Out; out of; out from.

adj

Being from without; strange; foreign; peculiar.

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

From Middle English outen, uten, from Old English ūtan (“from outside, on the outside, without”), from Proto-West Germanic *ūtanā, from Proto-Germanic *ūtanē (“from without, outside of”), from Proto-Indo-European *úd (“up, over”). Cognate with Middle Low German ûten (“out, forth”), German außen (“outside, out”), Swedish utan (“without, free from”). More at out.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionoutenenm
  • Inherited-form mentionūtanang · from outside, on the outside, without
  • Inherited-form mention*ūtanāgmw-pro
  • Derivation mention*ūtanēgem-pro · from without, outside of
  • Derivation mention*údine-pro · up, over
  • Cognate mentionûtengml · out, forth
  • Cognate mentionaußende · outside, out
  • Cognate mentionutansv · without, free from
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "outen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English outen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "ūtan",
        "t": "from outside, on the outside, without"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ūtan (“from outside, on the outside, without”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*ūtanā"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *ūtanā"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*ūtanē",
        "4": "",
        "t": "from without, outside of"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *ūtanē (“from without, outside of”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*úd",
        "t": "up, over"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *úd (“up, over”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gml",
        "2": "ûten",
        "t": "out, forth"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Low German ûten (“out, forth”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "außen",
        "t": "outside, out"
      },
      "expansion": "German außen (“outside, out”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "utan",
        "t": "without, free from"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish utan (“without, free from”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "outen",
      "outen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "uten",
      "uten#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ūtan",
      "utan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*ūtanā",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/ūtanā"
    ],
    [
      "*ūtanē",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ūtanē"
    ],
    [
      "*úd",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/úd"
    ],
    [
      "ûten",
      "uten#Middle_Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "außen",
      "außen#German"
    ],
    [
      "utan",
      "utan#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "out",
      "out#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "prep",
      "glosses": [
        "Out; out of; out from."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "dialectal"
      ],
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    },
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Being from without; strange; foreign; peculiar."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dialectal"
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To put out; extinguish.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūt Old English ūt ▲ Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-Germanic *-ai Proto-Germanic *ūtai Proto-West Germanic *ūtē Old English ūte Middle English oute English out Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-West Germanic *-inōn Old English -nian Middle English -enen /-nen English -en English outen From out + -en.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "out",
        "4": "-en<id:inchoative>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *úd\nProto-Germanic *ūt\nProto-West Germanic *ūt\nOld English ūt\n▲\nProto-Germanic *ūt\nProto-Germanic *-ai\nProto-Germanic *ūtai\nProto-West Germanic *ūtē\nOld English ūte\nMiddle English oute\nEnglish out\nProto-Germanic *-in-\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\nProto-Indo-European *-éh₂\nProto-Indo-European *-yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂ti\nProto-Germanic *-ōną\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-West Germanic *-inōn\nOld English -nian\nMiddle English -enen /-nen\nEnglish -en\nEnglish outen\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ūt\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ūt\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"ūt\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : [ \"gem-pro\", \":inh\", \"ine-pro:*úd\" ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ūt\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ai\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ūtai\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ūtē\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"ūte\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"oute\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"out\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"id\" : \"inchoative\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-in-\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"verbal\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"suf\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"collective nouns\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"collective nouns\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-h₂\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\", \"pos\" : \"suffix originally used to form collective nouns, extended in Late PIE to also be a marker of feminine gender\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-éh₂\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"intransitive verbs\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yéti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-eh₂yéti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"factitive verb\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-h₂ti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ōną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inōną\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inōn\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-nian\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-enen\\/\\/-nen\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-en\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"outen\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"outen\">\nFrom out + -en."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "out",
        "4": "-en<id:inchoative>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *úd\nProto-Germanic *ūt\nProto-West Germanic *ūt\nOld English ūt\n▲\nProto-Germanic *ūt\nProto-Germanic *-ai\nProto-Germanic *ūtai\nProto-West Germanic *ūtē\nOld English ūte\nMiddle English oute\nEnglish out\nProto-Germanic *-in-\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\nProto-Indo-European *-éh₂\nProto-Indo-European *-yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂ti\nProto-Germanic *-ōną\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-West Germanic *-inōn\nOld English -nian\nMiddle English -enen /-nen\nEnglish -en\nEnglish outen\nFrom out + -en."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*úd",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/úd"
    ],
    [
      "*ūt",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ūt"
    ],
    [
      "*ūt",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/ūt"
    ],
    [
      "ūt",
      "ut#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*ūt",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ūt"
    ],
    [
      "*-ai",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ai"
    ],
    [
      "*ūtai",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ūtai"
    ],
    [
      "*ūtē",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/ūtē"
    ],
    [
      "ūte",
      "ute#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "oute",
      "oute#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "out",
      "out#English"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-éh₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-éh₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-yéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yéti#Proto-Indo-European:_intransitive_verbs"
    ],
    [
      "*-eh₂yéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-eh₂yéti#Proto-Indo-European:_suf"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂ti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂ti#Proto-Indo-European:_factitive_verb"
    ],
    [
      "*-ōną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ōną#Proto-Germanic:_verbal"
    ],
    [
      "*-inōną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-inōną"
    ],
    [
      "*-inōn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-inōn"
    ],
    [
      "-nian",
      "-nian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-enen",
      "-enen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-nen",
      "-nen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-en",
      "-en#English:_inchoative"
    ],
    [
      "out",
      "out#English"
    ],
    [
      "-en",
      "-en#English:_inchoative"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To put out; extinguish."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dialectal",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "934e12564067b0024842c5650570987149ad7ee689a4619b477350443f99435f",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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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 outen →

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-b3V0ZW4