Where does “atwo” come from?

atwo (English) comes from Middle English on, from Old English on, from Proto-West Germanic ana, from Proto-Germanic *an, from Proto-Germanic ana, from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- — on, onto.

atwo (English): In two; in twain; asunder

Definitions

  1. In two; in twain; asunder

Ancestry of “atwo”, step by step

atwo traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English on

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishonon, in; on; Alternative form of oon
2Old Englishonon, in, at, among; from
3Proto-West Germanicanaon
4Proto-Germanic*an—
5Proto-Germanicanaon, at; on, onto; ana
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

via Middle English two

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtwotwo
2Old Englishtwātwo
3Old Englishtwēġentwo; twain
4Proto-West Germanictwai-two
5Proto-Germanictwaitwo
6Proto-Indo-Europeandwóh₁two
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →Every word from Proto-Germanic ana →Every word from Proto-Germanic *an →