Etymology Explorer › Old Norse

Where does “-an” come from?

-an (Old Norse) comes from Proto-Germanic -ōniz, from Proto-Germanic -niz, from Proto-Indo-European -nis.

-an (Old Norse): Used to derive nouns from class 2 weak verbs;...

Definitions

  1. Used to derive nouns from class 2 weak verbs;...

Ancestry of “-an”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanic-ōnizForms abstract nouns from weak class 2 verbs
2Proto-Germanic-nizForms abstract nouns from verbal roots and stems
3Proto-Indo-European-nis—

Words derived from “-an”

  • bilun
  • predikun
  • hönnun
  • bötnun
  • lestun
  • forritun
  • afsökun
  • nauðgun
  • opnun
  • opnunartími
  • margföldun
  • hrörnun
  • mátun
  • bruggun
  • skoðun
  • minnkun
  • þverlömun
  • lömun
  • eitrun
  • bótúlíneitrun
  • sperðileitrun
  • matareitrun
  • menntastofnun
  • stofnun
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -nis →