Where does “onlier” come from?
onlier (English) comes from English on, 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.
onlier (English): Something that lies very close to the expected position
Definitions
- Something that lies very close to the expected position
Ancestry of “onlier”, step by step
onlier traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English on
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | on | In the state of being active, functioning or... |
| 2 | Middle English | on | on, in; on; Alternative form of oon |
| 3 | Old English | on | on, in, at, among; from |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | ana | on |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *an | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ana | on, at; on, onto; ana |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via English only
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | only | Alone in a category; Singularly superior; the... |
| 2 | Middle English | oonly | alone, apart; only, sole, unique; peerless,... |
| 3 | Old English | ānlīċ | only |
| 4 | Old English | ān | lonely; entirely alone, solitary, single; one |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | ain | one |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ainaz | one; some |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | óynos | one; single |
via English Lier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Lier | A person or thing that lies, in the sense of being horizontal |
| 2 | Middle English | lier | — |
| 3 | Old English | lēgere | — |
| 4 | Old English | lēogan | to lie, deceive, belie, betray, be in error,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | leugan | to lie, to tell a falsehood |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | leuganą | to lie, to tell a falsehood |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewgʰ- | to lie, to tell falsehood |