Where does “one” come from?
one (Middle English) comes from Middle English onen, from Middle English -en, from Old English -en, from Old Norse -inn, from Proto-Norse -īna-, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos, from Proto-Indo-European -no- — adjectival suffix.
one (Middle English): Alternative form of on; Alternative form of hone;...
Definitions
- Alternative form of on; Alternative form of hone;...
Ancestry of “one”, step by step
one traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English onen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | onen | to unify; to join together; to gather together;... |
| 2 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 3 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 4 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 5 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
via Middle English owen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | owen | To own, possess, have control over, have... |
| 2 | Old English | āgan | to own, possess |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | aigan | to possess, to own, to have; own |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *aiganą | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₂óyḱe | to possess, to own |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyḱ- | to possess, to own |