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”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -nis →Every word from Proto-Germanic -niz →Every word from Proto-Germanic -ōniz →
-an — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer