Where does “en” come from?
en (Middle Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch ende, from Old Dutch endi, from Proto-West Germanic andī, from Proto-Germanic andijaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂entíos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- — on, onto.
en (Middle Dutch): Alternative form of ende
Ancestry of “en”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | ende | and; end |
| 2 | Old Dutch | endi | end |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | andī | end |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | andijaz | end |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂entíos | front; forehead |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |