Etymology Explorer › Irish

Where does “an” come from?

an (Irish) comes from Old Irish ín, from Proto-Celtic sindos, from Proto-Indo-European sḗm, from Proto-Indo-European sem- — together, one.

an (Irish): bright, brilliant; splendid, noble

Definitions

  1. bright, brilliant; splendid, noble

Ancestry of “an”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Irishínfast, period of fasting
2Proto-Celticsindosthis
3Proto-Indo-Europeansḗmone
4Proto-Indo-Europeansem-together, one
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sem- →