Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “aflame” come from?

Aflame comes from English a and flame, where the prefix a derives from English and, which comes from Latin ad- and Latin ad, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European h₂epo and Proto-Indo-European al-.

aflame (English): in flames, on fire, flaming, with flames coming...

Definitions

  1. in flames, on fire, flaming, with flames coming...

Ancestry of “aflame”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishā-—
2Old Englishġe-—
3Proto-West Germanicga-used as an intensifier for verbs, indicating...
4Proto-Germanicga-Indicates association or togetherness; co-;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
7Middle Englishkyt—
8Germankitt—
9Old High Germankuti—
10Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
11Proto-Germanickweduzresin
12Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
13Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →