Where does “on” come from?

on (Polish) comes from Old Polish on, from Proto-Slavic *onъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic anas, from Proto-Indo-European h₂en — there.

on (Polish): he for animate nouns, it for inanimate nouns

Definitions

  1. he for animate nouns, it for inanimate nouns

Ancestry of “on”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Polishonhe for animate nouns, it for inanimate nouns
2Proto-Slavic*onъ—
3Proto-Balto-Slavicanasthat over there, yonder
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enthere

Words derived from “on”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en →Every word from Proto-Balto-Slavic anas →Every word from Proto-Slavic *onъ →