Where does “an” come from?

an (English) comes from Middle English ān, from Old English ān, from Proto-West Germanic ain, from Proto-Germanic ainaz, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.

Ancestry of “an”, step by step

an traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English ān

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishāna, an indefinite article
2Old Englishānlonely; entirely alone, solitary, single; one
3Proto-West Germanicainone
4Proto-Germanicainazone; some
5Proto-Indo-Europeanóynosone; single

via Georgian ან

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Georgianანor, either
2Old Georgianანუor

Words derived from “an”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European óynos →