Where does “on” come from?
On comes from Japanese 音読み, Japanese 音, and Proto-Indo-European wen-, aukw-, and óynos, tracing back through multiple Proto-Indo-European roots of uncertain original sense.
on (English): In the state of being active, functioning or...
Definitions
- In the state of being active, functioning or...
Ancestry of “on”, step by step
on traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English on
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | on | on, in; on; Alternative form of oon |
| 2 | Old English | on | on, in, at, among; from |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | ana | on |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *an | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ana | on, at; on, onto; ana |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |