Where does “an” come from?
an (Scottish Gaelic) comes from Old Irish ín, from Proto-Celtic sindos, from Proto-Indo-European sḗm, from Proto-Indo-European sem- — together, one.
an (Scottish Gaelic): the; their; in
Ancestry of “an”, step by step
an traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old Irish ín
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Irish | ín | fast, period of fasting |
| 2 | Proto-Celtic | sindos | this |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | sḗm | one |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |
via Old Irish a
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Irish | a | nominative/accusative singular neuter of in; that... |
| 2 | Proto-Celtic | *ā | O (vocative particle) |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | ō | oh, ah |