Where does “’n” come from?

’n (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch één, from Middle Dutch êen, from Old Dutch ēn, from Proto-West Germanic ain, from Proto-Germanic ainaz, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.

’n (Afrikaans): a, an

Definitions

  1. a, an

Ancestry of “’n”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchéénone
2Middle Dutchêena indefinite article
3Old Dutchēn
4Proto-West Germanicainone
5Proto-Germanicainazone; some
6Proto-Indo-Europeanóynosone; single
Every word from Proto-Indo-European óynosEvery word from Proto-Germanic ainazEvery word from Proto-West Germanic ain