Where does “acan” come from?

acan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *akan, from Proto-Germanic akaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₂éǵeti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- — to drive.

acan (Old English): to ache

Definitions

  1. to ache

Ancestry of “acan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*akanto ache
2Proto-Germanicakanąto drive, sail, navigate; to ache
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éǵetito be driving
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

Words derived from “acan”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂éǵeti →Every word from Proto-Germanic akaną →
acan — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer