Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ans” come from?

ans (English) comes from English answer, from Middle English answere, from Old English andswaru, from Proto-West Germanic andaswaru, from Proto-Germanic andaswarō, from Proto-Germanic anda-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts — on, onto.

ans (English): plural of an; Abbreviation of answer

Definitions

  1. plural of an; Abbreviation of answer

Ancestry of “ans”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishanswerA response or reply; something said or done in...
2Middle EnglishanswereA response to a query or questioning; an...
3Old Englishandswaruanswer
4Proto-West Germanicandaswaruanswer, reply
5Proto-Germanicandaswarōanswer, reply
6Proto-Germanicanda-against, opposing; un-, de-
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntiopposite; near; in front
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →