Where does “ab” come from?
I appreciate the detailed instructions, but I need to flag an issue: the chain provided appears problematic for deriving "ab" as an English headword.
The chain shows "English about" at the newest end, then traces backward through Latin forms (abscessus, -alis, ab, ab, ab) to Proto-Indo-European deh₃-. However, "ab" is not a standard English word with an established meaning—it appears primarily in Latin phrases (ab initio, ab ovo) used in English, or as a prefix.
Additionally, the chain seems to conflate multiple etymological paths without clear justification for how "abscessus" (a noun meaning "departure, abscess") connects to a standalone "ab."
Could you clarify:
1. Is the headword meant to be "about" rather than "ab"?
2. Should "ab" be treated as a Latin word appearing in English
ab (English): abdominal muscle; An abscess caused by injecting...
Definitions
- abdominal muscle; An abscess caused by injecting...
Ancestry of “ab”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | abdominal | Of or pertaining to the abdomen; ventral; Having... |
| 2 | New Latin | abdominalis | abdominal |
| 3 | Latin | abdomen | belly, abdomen; gluttony |
| 4 | Latin | abdō | — |
| 5 | Latin | -dō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -dô | — |
| 7 | Sicilian | di | — |
| 8 | Latin | dē | — |
| 9 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 10 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 11 | Proto-Italic | posti | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | — |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |