Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “away” come from?

Away comes from Middle English away, derived from Old English onweġ, itself composed of Old English on and weġ.

away (English): From a place, hence; Aside; off; in another...

Definitions

  1. From a place, hence; Aside; off; in another...

Ancestry of “away”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishawayOut, away , off; Sideways, to a side
2Proto-Indo-Europeanaweg—

Words derived from “away”

  • runaway
  • wayward
  • faraway
  • getaway
  • breakaway
  • waywardness
  • giveaway
  • throwaway
  • hideaway
  • cutaway
  • takeaway
  • stowaway
  • flyaway
  • hereaway
  • layaway
  • rollaway
  • waywardly
  • tearaway
  • walkaway
  • soakaway
  • foldaway
  • sleepaway
  • awayness
  • stayaway
Every word from Proto-Indo-European aweg →