Where does “about” come from?
About comes from Middle English aboute, from Old English onbūtan, a compound of Old English on and Proto-Germanic ana, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂en-.
about (English): In a circle around; all round; on every side of;...
Definitions
- In a circle around; all round; on every side of;...
Ancestry of “about”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | aboute | around |
| 2 | Old English | onbūtan | — |
| 3 | Old English | on- | forming verbs and adjectives from participles and... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | ana- | Forming verbs and adjectives from participles and... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ana | on, at; on, onto; ana |
Words derived from “about”