Where does “an” come from?
an (Middle French) comes from Old French an, from Latin annus, from Proto-Italic atnos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂et-no-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂et- — grass.
an (Middle French): year
Ancestry of “an”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | an | year |
| 2 | Latin | annus | year; time; season |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | atnos | year |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂et-no- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂et- | grass |