Where does “ah” come from?
ah (English) comes from Chinese 阿, from English aren’t, from English -n’t, from English Not, from Middle English not, from Middle English nought, from Old English nōwiht, from Old English ne — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...
ah (English): An expression of relief, relaxation, comfort,...
Definitions
- An expression of relief, relaxation, comfort,...
Ancestry of “ah”, step by step
ah traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Chinese 阿
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chinese | 阿 | — |
| 2 | English | aren’t | are not (negative auxiliary) |
| 3 | English | -n’t | — |
| 4 | English | Not | — |
| 5 | Middle English | not | not; nothing, nought; nobody, no person |
| 6 | Middle English | nought | nothing, none; not; iniquitous, wicked |
| 7 | Old English | nōwiht | — |
| 8 | Old English | ne | not; or, and not; "ne... ne..." is used to mean "... |
| 9 | Old English | ealles | completely, wholly, entirely; totally,... |
| 10 | Old English | -es | possessive marker, indicating that an object... |
| 11 | Proto-Germanic | -as | used in formation of adverbs |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |