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

  1. In a circle around; all round; on every side of;...

Ancestry of “about”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishaboutearound
2Old Englishonbūtanabout, round about, all around
3Old Englishon-forming verbs and adjectives from participles and...
4Proto-West Germanicana-Forming verbs and adjectives from participles and...
5Proto-Germanicanaon, at; on, onto; ana

Words derived from “about”

Every word from Proto-Germanic ana →