Where does “van-” come from?
van- (Swedish) comes from Old Norse van-, from Old Norse vanr, from Proto-Germanic wanaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁weh₂- — to leave, abandon, give out.
van- (Swedish): mis-, un-, de-, without
Ancestry of “van-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | van- | under-, un- |
| 2 | Old Norse | vanr | lacking, wanting; a member of the Vanir |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wanaz | lacking, deficient, absent; accustomed |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁weh₂- | to leave, abandon, give out |
Words derived from “van-”