Where does “ajar” come from?
Ajar comes from English a combined with English jar, with a traced to Latin ad- and ad, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂epo and al-.
ajar (English): Slightly turned or opened; To turn or open...
Definitions
- Slightly turned or opened; To turn or open...
Ancestry of “ajar”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ajar | — |
| 2 | Middle English | char | turn, occasion |
| 3 | Old English | ċierr | a turn, change, time, occasion, affair, business |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | karzijaną | to turn, sweep |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵers- | to turn, bend, twist; to twist; to plait things... |