Where does “æ” come from?
æ (Middle English) comes from Old English ēa, from Proto-West Germanic ahu, from Proto-Germanic ahwō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ — water.
æ (Middle English): a waterway; a stream or river
Definitions
- a waterway; a stream or river
Ancestry of “æ”, step by step
æ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English ēa
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | ēa | flowing water, stream, river; water; river,... |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | ahu | river |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | ahwō | water; stream, river |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |
via Old English ǣ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | ǣ | marriage; life; law, marriage |