Where does “ay” come from?
Ay comes from Middle English ai, from Old Norse ey, from Proto-Germanic awjō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ekʷeh₂, ultimately from the root h₂ey-.
ay (English): Ah! alas!; Alternative spelling of aye; Always;...
Definitions
- Ah! alas!; Alternative spelling of aye; Always;...
Ancestry of “ay”, step by step
ay traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English A
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | A | The ordinal number first, derived from this... |
| 2 | English | AND | Alternative form of ∧, the conjunction operator;... |
| 3 | Middle English | and | and, and then; however, yet, but, though. while;... |
| 4 | Old English | and | and; even; also |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | andi | in addition, furthermore, and |
| 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 |
via Middle English ei
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ei | An egg, especially of a chicken or other fowl |
| 2 | Old English | ǣġ | egg |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | aij | egg |
| 4 | English | ice | Water in frozen form; Any frozen volatile... |
| 5 | Middle English | is | ice; That which is short-lived like ice; icy... |
| 6 | Old English | īs | ice |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | īs | ice |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | īsą | ice |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁eyH- | ice, frost |