Where does “aforeknown” come from?
aforeknown (English) comes from English afore, from Middle English afore, from Old English onforan, from Old English on, from Proto-West Germanic ana, from Proto-Germanic *an, from Proto-Germanic ana, from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- — on, onto.
aforeknown (English): Known prior to a given time
Definitions
- Known prior to a given time
Ancestry of “aforeknown”, step by step
aforeknown traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English afore
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | afore | Before; In the fore part of a ship; Before; in... |
| 2 | Middle English | afore | before; afore; before; afore: in advance of the... |
| 3 | Old English | onforan | before, in front of |
| 4 | Old English | on | on, in, at, among; from |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | ana | on |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *an | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | ana | on, at; on, onto; ana |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via English known
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | known | Identified as a specific type; famous, renowned;... |
| 2 | Middle English | knowen | to know |
| 3 | Old English | cnāwan | to know, perceive, recognise; to know, recognise,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | knāan | to recognise, to know |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | knēaną | to know, recognise, understand |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵneh₃- | to know |