Where does “een” come from?
een (Central Franconian) comes from Middle High German ein, from Old High German ein, from Proto-West Germanic ain, from Proto-Germanic ainaz, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.
Ancestry of “een”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | ein | one |
| 2 | Old High German | ein | one; only |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | ain | one |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ainaz | one; some |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | óynos | one; single |