Where does “lonesome” come from?
Lonesome combines English lone, from Middle English oon (one), and English some, both ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European roots sem- (one) and al- (other).
lonesome (English): Unhappy due to being alone; lonely; Oneself alone
Definitions
- Unhappy due to being alone; lonely; Oneself alone
Ancestry of “lonesome”, step by step
lonesome traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Lone
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Lone | Solitary; having no companion |
| 2 | English | alone | By oneself, solitary; Apart from, or exclusive... |
| 3 | Middle English | allone | alone |
| 4 | Middle English | on | on, in; on; Alternative form of oon |
| 5 | Old English | on | on, in, at, among; from |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | ana | on |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *an | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | ana | on, at; on, onto; ana |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |