Where does “along” come from?
Along comes from Old English andlang, combining Old English and- with Proto-Germanic langaz, which derives from Proto-Indo-European dl̥h₁gʰós meaning long, and Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- meaning opposite or facing.
along (English): By the length of; in a line with the length of;...
Definitions
- By the length of; in a line with the length of;...
Ancestry of “along”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | andlang | throughout, all along; along |
| 2 | Old English | and- | against, opposing; in return, back; facing,... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | anda- | against, opposing; in return, back; facing,... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | anda- | against, opposing; un-, de- |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énti | opposite; near; in front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |