Where does “answer” come from?
Answer comes from Middle English answere, from Old English andswaru, combining the Old English prefix and- with Proto-Germanic swarjaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots swer- and h₂ent-.
answer (English): A response or reply; something said or done in...
Definitions
- A response or reply; something said or done in...
Ancestry of “answer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | answere | A response to a query or questioning; an... |
| 2 | Old English | andswaru | answer |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | andaswaru | answer, reply |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | andaswarō | answer, reply |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | anda- | against, opposing; un-, de- |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énti | opposite; near; in front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |