Where does “-on” come from?
-on (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic -ēn, from Proto-Germanic -āną, from Proto-Germanic -ajaną, from Proto-Indo-European -oyéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti, from Proto-Indo-European yé-, from Chichewa iye — he, she.
-on (Old English): Marks the plural preterite indicative of strong verbs
Definitions
- Marks the plural preterite indicative of strong verbs
Ancestry of “-on”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | -ēn | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | -āną | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives, later... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | -ajaną | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -oyéti | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 7 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |