Where does “AN” come from?
AN (English) comes from Middle English ān, from Old English ān, from Proto-West Germanic ain, from Proto-Germanic ainaz, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.
Ancestry of “AN”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ān | — |
| 2 | Old English | ān | lonely; entirely alone, solitary, single; one |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | ain | one |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ainaz | one; some |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | óynos | one; single |