Where does “ein” come from?
ein (German) comes from Middle High German ein, from Old High German ein, from Proto-West Germanic ain, from Proto-Germanic ainaz, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.
ein (German): one; a, an; indicating motion into something
Definitions
- one; a, an; indicating motion into something
Ancestry of “ein”, step by step
ein traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle High German ein
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | ein | one |
| 2 | Old High German | ein | one; only |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | ain | one |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ainaz | one; some |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | óynos | one; single |
via Old High German in
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | in | in |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *in | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | in | in; into |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | én | in |
via German eingeboren
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | eingeboren | indigenous, aboriginal, native |