Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “agayn” come from?

agayn (Middle English) comes from Old English onġēan, from Old English on-, from Old English and-, from Proto-West Germanic anda-, from Proto-Germanic anda-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- — on, onto.

agayn (Middle English): again

Definitions

  1. again

Ancestry of “agayn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishonġēan—
2Old Englishon-forming verbs and adjectives from participles and...
3Old Englishand-against, opposing; in return, back; facing,...
4Proto-West Germanicanda-against, opposing; in return, back; facing,...
5Proto-Germanicanda-against, opposing; un-, de-
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntiopposite; near; in front
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

Words derived from “agayn”

  • again
  • gen
  • gens
  • agen
  • againness
  • subgens
  • turnagain
  • genfic
  • gen up
  • gen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →