of

Etymology tree
Proto-West Germanic *ab
Old English æf
Old English of
Middle English of
English of
From Middle English of, from Old English of (“from, out of, off”), an unstressed form of æf, from Proto-West Germanic *ab, from Proto-Germanic *ab (“away; away from”). Doublet of off, which is the stressed descendant of the same Old English word. More at off.

etymon

Etymology tree
Proto-West Germanic *ab
Old English æf
Old English of
Middle English of
English of

de

connecting numeral or quantifier with quantified

de (not used with quantifiers like todo, nem todo, para todo)

subjective genitive: connecting action noun with subject

genitive construction is used - the verbal noun is followed by the subject in the genitive case

van

objective genitive: connecting action noun with object

genitive construction used - a verbal noun is modified by the object in the genitive

a verbal noun is modified by the object in the genitive case

i

(to tell the time) before, to, e.g. a quarter of three (2:45)

он минут ж.б.с.> қалды/бар

-ğa/ge <ширек, он минут ж.б.с.> qaldy/bar

туларга <(унбиш минут һ.б.ш.)>

Sir said Galahad by this shelde ben many merueils fallen / Sir sayd the knyght hit befelle after the passion of our lord Ihesu Crist xxxij yere that Ioseph of Armathye the gentyl knyghte / the whiche took doune oure lord of the hooly Crosse att that tyme he departed from Iherusalem with a grete party of his kynred with hym

1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book XIII:

Sir, said Galahad, by this shield many marvels have fallen / Sir, said the knight, it befell after the passion of our lord Jesus Christ, year 32, when Joseph of Arimathea, the gentile knight, / took down our lord of the holy Cross. At that time, he departed from Jerusalem with a great party of his kindred with him

(now obsolete or dialectal) From (of distance, direction), "off".

Expressing distance or motion.
From (of distance, direction), "off".

And he axed his father: howe longe is it agoo, sens this hath happened hym? And he sayde, of a chylde.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark:

one that I brought vp of a puppy […] I was sent to deliuer him, as a present to Mistris Siluia, from my Master.

c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:

Obama has been obliged to make nice of late in hope of rescuing the moribund two-state process and preventing resumed West Bank settlement building.

2010 July 29, Simon Tisdall, The Guardian:

(obsolete except in phrases) Since, from (a given time, earlier state etc.).

Since, from (a given time, earlier state etc.).

There are no shops within twenty miles of the cottage.

Though Washington does not officially recognize Moscow, the Hoover Administration permits a Soviet Russian Information Bureau to flourish in a modest red brick house on Massachusetts Avenue, within a mile of the White House.

There are now upwards of 1.4 million 99ers in America facing a life with no benefits and few prospects for finding a job in a market in which companies are still not hiring.

From, away from (a position, number, distance etc.).

Finally she was relieved of the burden of caring for her sick husband.

And ther with on his handes and on his knees he wente soo nyghe that he touched the holy vessel / and kyste hit / and anone he was hole / and thenne he sayd lord god I thanke the / for I am helyd of this sekenesse

1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “xviij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XIII:

And there, with his hands and on his knees, he got so close that he touched the holy vessel / and kissed it / and he was whole straight away / and then he said: lord God, I thank thee / for I am healed of this sickness

Antigonus [took] upon him to favour a souldier of his by reason of his vertue and valour, to have great care of him, and see whether they could recover him of a lingering and inward disease which had long tormented him […]

1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter I, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

I am almost entirely cured of my rheumatism—just a little pain in my knee now and then, to make me remember what it was, and keep on flannel.

In Houston, ten minutes after the Lindquist Finance Corp. was robbed of $447, Office Manager Howard Willson got a phone call from the thief who complained: "You didn't have enough money over there."

Indicating removal, absence or separation, with the action indicated by a transitive verb and the quality or substance by a grammatical object.

He seemed devoid of human feelings.

But schemes are perfectly accidental: some will appear barren of hints and matter, but prove to be fruitful […]

Yet for long spells Villa looked laboured and devoid of ideas.

2010 October 31, Stuart James, The Guardian:

Indicating removal, absence or separation, with resulting state indicated by an adjective.

He was kindly treated by the people at Saco, and recovered of his wounds.

1822, Jacob Bailey Moore, New Hampshire, volume 1, page 5:

(obsolete) Indicating removal, absence or separation, construed with an intransitive verb.

Indicating removal, absence or separation, construed with an intransitive verb.

intransitive verb
intransitive verb#English

The word is believed to be of Japanese origin.

They wondred all, and marveylled sayinge amonge themselves: Loke, are not all these which speake off galile? And howe heare we every man his awne tongue wherein we were boren?

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts:

My father was born of a family of weavers in Manchester, England.

Nothing may come of these ideas, yet their potential should not be dismissed.

2010, “The Cost of Repair”, in The Economist:

Indicating an ancestral source or origin of descent.

Jesus of Nazareth (after hometown)

Anselm of Canterbury (after diocese)

Anselm of Aosta (after birthplace)

Anselm of Bec (after monastery)

Pedro II of Brazil (after dominion)

Mrs Miggins of Gasworks Road, Mudchester (after place of residence)

Introducing an epithet that indicates a birthplace, residence, dominion, or other place associated with the individual.

-lainen (applied to place name, in all cases but dominion; for dominions, place dominion before name in genitive case)

an adjectival form of the epithet is often used

alternatively the epithet is in the genitive case

The invention was born of necessity.

Faire knyght said Palomydes me semeth we haue assayed eyther other passyng sore / and yf hit may please the / I requyre the of thy knyghthode telle me thy name / Sir said the knyȝt to Palomydes / that is me loth to doo / for thou hast done me wronge.

1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter XIX, in Le Morte Darthur, book X:

Fair knight, said Palamedes, seems to me we have assayed, either other passing sore / and if it may please thee / I request thee, of thy knighthood, tell me thy name / Sir, said the knight to Palamedes, / I am loath to do that / for thou hast done me wrong.

Undoubtedly it is to be understood, that inflicting deserved punishment on all evil doers, of right, belongs to God.

The woman who danced for me said she was there of her own free will, but when I pushed a bit further, I discovered that she "owed a man a lot of money", and had to pay it back quickly.

2008 December 3, Rowenna Davis, The Guardian:

Indicating a (non-physical) source of action or emotion; introducing a cause, instigation; from, out of, as an expression of.

It is said that she died of a broken heart.

He smelled of beer and cigarette smoke and his own body.

2006, Joyce Carol Oates, The Female of the Species:

Two men, one from Somalia and one from Zimbabwe, died of terminal illnesses shortly after their incarceration ended.

2010 October 5, Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi, The Guardian:

(following an intransitive verb) Indicates the source or cause of the verb.

Indicates the source or cause of the verb.

I am tired of all this nonsense.

Lib Dems were appalled by Mr Boles’s offer, however kindly meant: the party is so frightened of losing its independence under Mr Clegg that such a pact would “kill” him, says a senior member.

2010 September 23, Bagehot, The Economist:

Thus, one finds individuals dead of a gunshot wound with potentially lethal levels of drugs.

2015, Vincent J. M. DiMaio, Gunshot Wounds:

(following an adjective) Indicates the subject or cause of the adjective.

Indicates the subject or cause of the adjective.

I am not particularly enamoured of this idea.

After a good while, the iewes toke cousell amonge themselves to kyll him. But their layinges awayte wer knowen of Saul.

[S]he might appeare to be the lively patterne of another Lucrece, yet know I certainly that, both before that time and afterward, she had beene enjoyed of others upon easier composition.

The family is ordained of God.

1995, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Colombia and Venezuela share an elegantly restrained style, with much back-stepping, smaller hand-movements and little use of the elaborate, arm-tangling moves beloved of Cuban dancers.

2008 March 27, “Selling rhythm to the world”, in The Economist:

(following a passive verb) Indicates the agent (for most verbs, now usually expressed with by).

Indicates the agent (for most verbs, now usually expressed with by).

The contract can be terminated at any time with the agreement of both parties.

In Blood and Sand, meanwhile, Valentino repeatedly solicits the attention of women who have turned away from him.

1994, Paul Coates, Film at the Intersection of High and Mass Culture, page 136:

Somehow Croatia has escaped the opprobrium of the likes of the German Christian Democrats and others that are against any rapid enlargement of the European Union to the include rest of the western Balkans.

2009 December 28, “Head to head”, in The Economist:

Used to introduce the "subjective genitive"; following a noun to form the head of a postmodifying noun phrase (see also 'Possession' senses below).

subjective genitive
w:subjective genitive

It was very brave of you to speak out like that.

When this was over, Mr. Woodhouse gratefully observed,—"It is very kind of you, Mr. Knightley, to come out at this late hour to call upon us."

1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], Emma: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:

Morrissey's spokesperson says he is considering the offer. It would perhaps be rude of him to decline.

2007 January 10, Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian:

(following an adjective) Used to indicate the agent of something described by the adjective.

Used to indicate the agent of something described by the adjective.

Many 'corks' are now actually made of plastic.

The mallet is made of a hard heavy wood resembling ebony, is about twelve inches in length, and perhaps two in breadth, with a rounded handle at one end […]

1846 February, Henry Melville, Typee […] : A Peep at Polynesian Life, London: John Murray:

(after a verb expressing construction, making etc.) Used to indicate the material or substance used.

Used to indicate the material or substance used.

She wore a dress of silk.

Perhaps symbolically, Van Doesburg was building a house of straw: he died within a few months of completion, not in Meudon but in Davos, of a heart attack following a bout of asthma.

2010 January 23, Simon Mawer, The Guardian:

It's 25km of rolling pitch from the start of the 175 to Nansi. If you want to continue riding through more undeveloped natural landscape, head up the east side of Tsengwen Reservoir.

2014, Robert Kelly, Chung Wah Chow, Taiwan, 9th edition, Lonely Planet, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 253:

(directly following a noun) Used to indicate the material of the just-mentioned object.

Used to indicate the material of the just-mentioned object.

What a lot of nonsense!

His papers at this period contain a mass of very unedifying and uninteresting documents […].

1844 January–December, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, “The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. [The Luck of Barry Lyndon.]”, in Miscellanies: Prose and Verse, volume III, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1856, →OCLC:

I'd expected to be confronted by oodles of barely suppressed tension and leather-clad, pouty-mouthed, large-haired sexiness; the visual shorthand of rock gods in general, and Jon Bon Jovi in particular.

2010 October 31, Polly Vernon, The Guardian:

Indicating the composition of a given collective or quantitative noun.

Welcome to the historic town of Harwich.

This having the rainy month of March and April to water it, sprung up very pleasantly, and yielded a very good crop […].

1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC:

In his studio in the Behlendorf woods, near the Baltic city of Lübeck, Günter Grass reflects on the outcry over his fictive memoir Peeling the Onion.

2010 October 30, Maya Jaggi, The Guardian:

Used to link a given class of things with a specific example of that class.

de or with a construction using the adjectival suffix -a

genitive case or nominative + -(с)ы/(с)і izafet

the example of a class can be used in the genitive modifying the class

I'm not driving this wreck of a car.

As he swallowed the soup his heart warmed to this fool of a girl.

1911, Katherine Mansfield, In a German Pension:

"I'm having a bitch of a day," he says, after ordering a restorative pint of Guinness and flopping down in a seat by the front window.

2010 August 22, Sean O'Hagan, The Guardian:

Links two nouns in near-apposition, with the first qualifying the second; "which is also".

I'm always thinking of you.

[H]e spoke of his uncle with warm regard, was fond of talking of him […]

You must not judge of Celia's feeling from mine. I think she likes these small pets.

1871, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter III, in Middlemarch […], volume I, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book I, page 44:

while producing Cook, which includes more than 250 seasonal recipes by 80 different chefs, we washed up more than 500 times (oh, how I dreamed of dishwashers).

2010 October 19, Rebecca Seal, The Guardian:

Links an intransitive verb, or a transitive verb and its subject (especially verbs to do with thinking, feeling, expressing etc.), with its subject-matter; concerning, with regard to.

He told us the story of his journey to India.

Recession and rising unemployment have put paid to most thoughts of further EU enlargement.

(following a noun (now chiefly nouns of knowledge, communication etc.)) Introduces its subject matter; about, concerning.

Introduces its subject matter; about, concerning.

following a noun (now chiefly nouns of knowledge, communication etc.)

This behaviour is typical of teenagers.

The same secludedness and isolation to which the schoolmaster whale betakes himself in his advancing years, is true of all aged Sperm Whales.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:

(following an adjective) Introduces its subject matter.

Introducing subject matter.
Introduces its subject matter.

Most of these apples are rotten.

But as for me said sire Gareth I medle not of their maters therfore there is none of them that loueth me / And for I vnderstande they be murtherers of good knyghtes I lefte theyre company

1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “lviij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book X:

But as for me, said Sir Gareth, I do not meddle their matters, therefore none of them loves me / And, since I understand they are murderers of good knights, I left their company.

The dead bodies of the Koreish were despoiled and insulted; two of the most obnoxious prisoners were punished with death […]

1788, Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume VI, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC:

Many of the civilisational achievements of Mesopotamia are the product of that symbiosis.

2010 November 10, Michael Wood, The Guardian:

(following a number or other quantitive word) Introduces the whole for which is indicated only the specified part or segment; "from among".

Introduces the whole for which is indicated only the specified part or segment; "from among".

following a number or other quantitive word

everyone, even the ladies of the village, called the dish tzigayner shmeklekh, or “gypsies' penises.”

2005, Naomi Wolf, The Treehouse, page 58:

That, I think, is the buried core of the outrage people feel most generally.

(following a noun) Indicates a given part.

Having partitive effect.
Indicates a given part.

On the whole, they seem to be of the decent sort.

And the folysshe sayde to the wyse: geve us of youre oyle, for oure lampes goo out?

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew:

My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains / My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, […]

1819, John Keats, “Ode to a Nightingale”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1820, →OCLC, stanza 1, page 107:

Dunning, however, is of the old school, and does not like new faces; so he will have no Irishman at his door […]

1846, James Fenimore Cooper, The Redskins:

(now archaic, literary, with preceding partitive word assumed, or as a predicate after to be) Some, an amount of, one of.

Having partitive effect.
Some, an amount of, one of.

He is a friend of mine.

He is just what I should have liked a son of mine to be.

1893, Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance, section IV:

In its flattering way, the press tried to invest this habit of Bush's with the sense that it was indicative of a particularly sharp wit.

2010 August 27, Michael Tomasky, The Guardian:

Links to a genitive noun or possessive pronoun, with partitive effect (though now often merged with possessive senses, below).

He was perhaps the most famous scientist of the twentieth century.

The building was erected in two years, at the parochial expence, on the foundation of the former one, which was irreparably damaged by the hurricane of Auguſt, 1712.

1774, Edward Long, The History of Jamaica. Or, General Survey of the Antient and Modern State of that Island, volume 2, book 2, chapter 7, 5:

Thus, as he dressed, the thoughts and the rage of yesterday began to stir and move in his mind again.

Within ten seconds, the citizens of New York, Cleveland, Detroit and Toronto were being given first-hand experience of what it was like to live in the nineteenth century.

2003 August 20, Julian Borger, The Guardian:

Belonging to, existing in, or taking place in a given location, place or time. Compare "origin" senses, above.

The owner of the nightclub was arrested.

In a much-anticipated radio broadcast the Duke of Edinburgh said last night that Britain will be a grim place in the year 2000 […]

The third son, William John (1826-1902), was headmaster of the Boys' British School, Hitchin […]

2001, Dictionary of National Biography, page 27:

Belonging to (a place) through having title, ownership or control over it.

Keep the handle of the saucepan away from the flames.

The breasts of young girls sometimes become tender at puberty in sympathy with the evolution of the sexual organs […]

1933, Havelock Ellis, Psychology of Sex, volume 4:

It amounts to knocking on the door of No 10 then running away.

2010 October 29, Marina Hyde, The Guardian:

Belonging to (someone or something) as something they possess or have as a characteristic; the "possessive genitive". (With abstract nouns, this intersects with the subjective genitive, above under "agency" senses.)

genitive construction (إِضَافَة (ʔiḍāfa)) is used – i.e. the thing owned is followed by the owner in the genitive case

...之

in classical Chinese and in set expressions

possessive construction (a son of a teacher = mab dyskador; the son of a/the teacher = mab an dyskador; a/the son of the teacher = mab an dyskador)

-ja/-je (attached to property instead of owner, e.g. Péter autója)

-nak/-nek (dative) (used together with -ja/-je, e.g. Péternek az autója)

izāfa

اِضافَہ (izāfa)

She had a profound distrust of the police.

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 4::

Antifeminism has been a credible cover and an effective vehicle because the hatred of women is not politically anathema on either the Right or the Left.

Follows an agent noun, verbal noun or noun of action.

My companion seemed affable and easy of manner.

He was huge, raw-boned, knotty, long of body and long of leg, with the head of a war charger.

Still nimble of mind and fleet of foot, Morris buzzed here and there, linking well and getting stuck in at every opportunity.

2004 August 11, Sean Ingle, The Guardian:

Expressing qualities or characteristics.

(archaic or literary) Links an adjective with a noun or noun phrase to form a quasi-adverbial qualifier; in respect to, as regards.

Expressing qualities or characteristics.

Links an adjective with a noun or noun phrase to form a quasi-adverbial qualifier; in respect to, as regards.

Pooh was said to be a bear of very little brain.

His frank acceptance of the situation marks him as either an innocent man, or else as a man of considerable self-restraint and firmness.

1891, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Boscombe Valley Mystery:

No other man has made so deep a mark on his time and on our world unless he has been a man of action, a Cromwell or a Napoleon.

1951, Jacob Bronowski, The Common Sense of Science:

Indicates a quality or characteristic; "characterized by".

We have been paying interest at a rate of 10%.

She was a tall young girl of about twenty-two or three, holding herself erect and with fine dignity.

1903, Frank Norris, The Pit, Doubleday, published 1924, page 4:

A police car, traveling southbound at a speed of 40.0 m/s, approaches with its siren producing sound at a frequency of 2 500 Hz.

1996, Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett, Principles of Physics, published 2006, page 428:

It's not that big of a deal.

Such hegemonic projects often appropriate certain local traditions and re-inscribe them as "national," while dismissing other traditions which pose too great of a threat to the reproduction of the existing socio-political order.

1990, Mary Crain, “The Social Construction of National Identity in Highland Ecuador”, in Anthropological Quarterly, volume 61, number 1, page 43:

For some individuals, even 1000 calories/day may be too great of a deficit.

1998, Lyle McDonald, The Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Guide for the Dieter and Practitioner, page 98:

While it is quite obvious that the state continues to try and dilute the voting power of Native Americans, at least as big of a challenge is the need for mobilizing Native American voters.

2017, Jean Reith Schroedel, Artour Aslanian, “A Case Study of Descriptive Representation: The Experience of Native American Elected Officials in South Dakota”, in American Indian Quarterly, volume 41, number 3, page 278:

(US, informal, considered incorrect by some) Used to link singular indefinite nouns (preceded by the indefinite article) and attributive adjectives modified by certain common adverbs of degree.

Of an evening, we would often go for a stroll along the river.

For, sometimes of an afternoon when Miss Pupford has been reading the paper through her little gold eye-glass[…], she has become agitated, […]

1861, Charles Dickens, “Tom Tiddler’s Ground. Chapter VI. Picking Up Miss Kimmeens.”, in Christmas Stories […] (The Works of Charles Dickens; XV), de luxe edition, London: Chapman and Hall, published 1881, →OCLC, page 242:

If there was a type Ida despised, Sir Claude communicated to Maisie, it was the man who pottered about town of a Sunday […]

1897 October 16, Henry James, What Maisie Knew, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Herbert S. Stone & Co., →OCLC:

(chiefly regional) During the course of (a set period of time, day of the week etc.), now specifically with implied repetition or regularity.

During the course of (a set period of time, day of the week etc.), now specifically with implied repetition or regularity.

I’ve not taken her out of a goodly long while.

(UK, dialectal, chiefly in the negative) For (a given length of time).

Expressing a point in time.
For (a given length of time).

After a delay of three hours, the plane finally took off.

The cab driver's claim he was sleepwalking during the attack has already been supported by his wife of 37 years.

(after a noun) Indicates duration of a state, activity etc.

Indicates duration of a state, activity etc.

I’ll be ready at ten of two
I’ll be ready at 1:50

What's the time? / Nearly a quarter of three.

I'll be ready by five of noon.

"Fellow Democrats," he began, "I left Washington at a quarter of two this morning […]"

1940 June 17, “Little Bull Booed”, in Time:

Quarter of seven. Fifteen minutes to go.

1982, TC Boyle, Water Music, Penguin, published 2006, page 194:

(chiefly US) Before (the hour); to (the hour).

Expressing a point in time.
Before (the hour); to (the hour).

I’ll be ready at ten of
I’ll be ready at 1:50, or 2:50, or whatever time ending in 10 makes most sense in context.

Wednesday was more of the same. Out at 08:30, got to the office by quarter of, clients all day.

2022 May 16, Ariel Levine, 09:20 from the start, in Giancarlo Esposito, director, Better Call Saul S6E6: Axe and Grind (TV series), spoken by Private Investigator (Lennie Loftin):

Expressing a point in time.
Before (the hour); to (the hour).
Often used without the hour


of

From Middle Low German af, from Old Saxon af, from Proto-West Germanic *ab, from Proto-Germanic *ab. More at off.


of

From Old Norse of-, from Proto-Germanic *uber. The original full form is seen in the prefixed form ofur- (“overly, super, very”). Related to yfir (“above”) and ofan (“from above”).


of

English: of

Scots: o, o'

Yola: ov, of, af, av

From Old English of, an unstressed form of af, ob, æf (“from, off, away”), from Proto-West Germanic *ab, from Proto-Germanic *ab (“away; away from”).

Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote

c. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue, lines 1–3:

When in April the sweet showers fall
That pierce the drought of March to the root and all


of

Middle English: of

Scots: o

English: of

Hē is of þām ilcan wīċe swā iċ.

Of þām ǣġe crēap ān lȳtel and swīðe hungriġ trēowwyrm.

Out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.

The Life of Saint Margaret
Iċ nylle nān word mā of þīnum mūðe ġehīeran.

I don't want to hear one more word out of your mouth.

late 10th century, Ælfric, On the Seasons of the Year
Swā swā fiscas cwelaþ gif hīe of wætre bēoþ, swā ēac cwileþ ǣlċ eorðliċ līchama gif hē biþ þǣre lyfte bedǣled.

Just as fish die if they're out of the water, every land animal dies if it is deprived of air.

late 10th century, Ælfric, Esther
Sē cyning slīepte his bēag of.

c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. John the Baptist"
"Eal his reaf wæs awefen of olfendes hǽrum, his bigleofa wæs stiðlic; ne dranc he wines drenc, ne nanes gemencgedes wætan, ne gebrowenes: ofet hine fedde, and wude-hunig, and oðre waclice ðigena."

"All his garment was woven of camel's hair, his food was coarse; he drank not drink of wine, nor of any mixed or prepared fluid: fruit fed him and wood-honey, and other common things."


of

Muskawn of buthther.

1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 58:

To his sweethearth, an smack lick a dab of a brough.

1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 5, page 96:

To his sweetheart, and smacked like a slap of a shoe.


i

Fisi i Malësorëve.

Fisi i Malësorëvet.


i

From Old Norse í, from Proto-Germanic *in, from Proto-Indo-European *en.

Tre i femte.

Three to the power of five. (short for tre i femte potens, three in fifth power). [note that the exponent is in the ordinal form]

Jeg har boet her i tre år.

Han fyldte seks år i mandags.

Used to indicate a past time or period when something took place.

Pigen går i gymnasiet og er 17 år

The girl goes to high school and is 17 years old.

Used to indicate regular presence in a location.

Fem minutter i tolv.

Used in conjunction with time to indicate a number of minutes before a full hour.

Tre gange i timen.

Used when indicating that something is happening or repeated a number of times within each time period .

Professor i fysik

Indicates affiliation with a profession.


i

From Old Norse í, from Proto-Germanic *in. Cognate with Swedish i.


i

head

i (plus dative, triggers eclipsis, before the definite article s-, ins)

ins (triggers-eclipsis)
ionam (first-person singular)
ionamsa (emphatic first-person singular)
ionat (second-person singular)
ionatsa (emphatic second-person singular)
ann (masculine singular third-person)
annsan (emphatic masculine singular third-person)
inti (feminine singular third-person)
intise (emphatic feminine singular third-person)
ionainn (first-person plural)
ionainne (emphatic first-person plural)
ionaibh (plural second-person)
ionaibhse (emphatic plural second-person)
iontu (plural third-person)
iontusan (emphatic plural third-person)
i (mutation mutation-radical)
n-i (eclipsis mutation)
hi (mutation prothesis-h)

From Old Irish i, from Proto-Celtic *eni (compare Welsh yn), from Proto-Indo-European *en (compare English in, Latin in, Ancient Greek ἐν (en)).

in

used before vowels in place of eclipsis; also used before bhur (pl), dhá, titles of books, films, and the like, and foreign words that resist mutation


i

From Old Norse í (“in”), from Proto-Germanic *in (“in, into”), from Proto-Indo-European *én (“in”).

Ligge i sengen

Oppe i fjellene

Møtet varte (i) to timer

The meeting lasted two hours (literally, “The meeting went during two hours”)

Han var utenlands i mange år

I høst, i vår, i dag, i går

Være i fred

Være i god form

Leve i fattigdom

Betale i gull

Gjøre noe i all hast

To do something urgently (literally, “To do something in all haste”)

i hemmelighet

I deg har jeg en sann venn.


i

From Old Norse í, from Proto-Germanic *in (“in, into”). Akin to English in.

No er me i Noreg.


i

indium (first-person singular)
indiumm (first-person singular)
indiumsa (emphatic first-person singular)
indiut (second-person singular)
indiutsu (emphatic second-person singular)
indiutsiu (emphatic second-person singular)
and (dative masculine neuter singular third-person)
andsom (dative emphatic masculine neuter singular third-person)
ind (accusative masculine neuter singular third-person)
indsom (accusative emphatic masculine neuter singular third-person)
indi (dative feminine singular third-person)
inte (accusative feminine singular third-person)
intesi (accusative emphatic feminine singular third-person)
indiunn (first-person plural)
indiunni (emphatic first-person plural)
indib (plural second-person)
indibsi (emphatic plural second-person)
indib (dative plural third-person)
indibsom (dative emphatic plural third-person)
indibsem (dative emphatic plural third-person)
intiu (accusative plural third-person)

Irish: i

Scottish Gaelic: an

Manx: ayns

From Proto-Celtic *en (compare Welsh yn), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én (compare English in, Latin in, Ancient Greek ἐν (en)).
The third-person singular masculine and neuter inflected dative form and is not derived from a contraction with a pronoun. Instead, it was originally an adverb with an independent etymology. See its page for its etymology.


i

Di la ziddài natiba i lu so’ cori
diricaddu una mamma s’ammintaba
ch’era verdhi e fiuridda che giardhinu.

1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “Un cuntaddu [A tale]”, in La poesia di l'althri [The poetry of others], Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page 47:

About the native town, in her delicate heart, a mother remembered it was as green and full of flowers as a garden.


i

From Middle English i, variant of in (“in”).


i

From Old Swedish ī, from Old Norse í, from Proto-Germanic *in.

Kim bor i Stockholm, som ligger i Sverige.
Kim lives in Stockholm which lies in Sweden.

in; specifies a place, a region or a country

Middag serveras mellan sex och kvart i åtta varje kväll.

Dinner is served between six and quarter to eight every evening.

(about time) to; before a full hour or, if used in the phrase "fem i halv", a half-hour

Jag sover i flera timmar.

i måndags

i julas

(in various constructions) last, previous


i

yewc-it i weɣyuř-nnes


i

From Proto-Polynesian *i. Cognates include Hawaiian i and Samoan i.

Ko te fakavae tenei e matea i nā nuku ma kafai ona tagata e faifaimea fakatahi, ma nonofo fakatahi i te filemu ma te fiafia.

1948, Tūlāfono fakavae a Tokelau [Constitution of Tokelau], page 1:

This foundation is recognised in the villages and if their people repetedly do things together, and they live together in peace and happiness.


i

im (first-person singular)
imi (first-person singular)
inni (first-person plural)
i ni (first-person plural)
it (second-person singular)
iti (second-person singular)
iwch (plural second-person)
ichwi (plural second-person)
iddo (singular third-person)
iddo ef m (singular third-person)
iddi (singular third-person)
iddi hi f (singular third-person)
iddynt (plural third-person)
iddynt hwy (plural third-person)
i mi (first-person singular)
fi (first-person singular)
i ni (first-person plural)
i ti (second-person singular)
i chi (plural second-person)
iddo fe (singular third-person)
fo m (singular third-person)
iddi hi f (singular third-person)
iddyn nhw (plural third-person)

From Middle Welsh y, from Old Welsh di (pronounced /ði/), from Proto-Celtic *dū, related to Breton da (“to, for”), Cornish dhe (“to, for”), Irish do (“to, for”).

Aethon nhw iʼr ysbyty.

Mae’r jem i Siân.
The jewel is for Siân.

Dw i’n prynu teiar newydd i’n car.

Maen nhw’n dweud iddi hi yfed gormod o gwrw.


i

Maa bee haghed i more caar an angish than Ich."

Kathleen A. Browne (1927) The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland Sixth Series, Vol.17 No.2, Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland

May be upset in more care and hardship than I."

Or i a vaarin gees a shaar,


i

Proto-Nuclear Polynesian: *i

Proto-Eastern Polynesian: *i

Central-Eastern Polynesian

Marquesic

Hawaiian: i

Mangarevan: i

Tahitic

Maori: i

Penrhyn: i

Rakahanga-Manihiki: i

Rarotongan: i

Tahitian: i

Tuamotuan: i

Rapa Nui: i

Samoic-Outlier

Ellicean

Kapingamarangi: i

Nukuoro: i

Ontong Java: i

Sikaiana: i

Turkana: i

Futunic

East Futuna: i

Futuna-Aniwa: i

Pukapukan: i

Rennellese: i

Tikopia: i

Wallisian: ʻid

West Uvean: i

Samoan: i

Tokelauan: i

Tongic

Niuean: i

Tongan: i


one

From Proto-Germanic *ēnu (“without”). Cognates include Old Saxon āno and Old Dutch *āna.


his

is (mutation mutation-radical)
his (mutation prothesis-h)


o

From Proto-Slavic *o(b), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ebʰi.


o

English: o', o, a

Scots: o', o

Yola: o', o, a


o

Polish: o

Silesian: ô

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *o(b). First attested in the 14th century.

about, concerning [with accusative or locative]

(used in descriptions) with, having [with locative]


o

Opowiedz mi o twojej pracy.

Ta książka jest o potędze miłości.

Spotkajmy się o piątej po południu.

Była piękną kobietą o długich jasnych włosach.

She was a beautiful woman with long fair hair.

chłopiec o zielonych oczach

Nie opierajcie się o te drzwi.

Dziewczynka uderzyła głową o stół.

The little girl hit her head on the table.

Weronika poprosiła mnie wczoraj o pomoc.

Walczyliśmy dzielnie o naszą wolność.

We were bravely fighting for our freedom.

Spóźniła się o piętnaście minut.

Czuję się o wiele lepiej.

Obniż podkład o dwa półtony.

Lower the instrumental by two semitones.


o

From Middle English of, from Old English af, æf (“from, off, away”), from Proto-Germanic *ab (“away (from)”). Compare English of.


o

o (+ dative, triggers lenition, combined with the singular definite article on)

uam (first-person singular)
uamsa (emphatic first-person singular)
uat (second-person singular)
uatsa (emphatic second-person singular)
uaithe (masculine singular third-person)
uaithesan (emphatic masculine singular third-person)
uaipe (feminine singular third-person)
uaipese (emphatic feminine singular third-person)
uainn (first-person plural)
uainne (emphatic first-person plural)
uaibh (plural second-person)
uaibhse (emphatic plural second-person)
uapa (plural third-person)
uapasan (emphatic plural third-person)

From Middle Irish ó, from Old Irish ó. Cognates include Irish ó.


o

From Proto-Slavic *o(b), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ebʰi. See o-, ob-.

ob(j)esiti nešto o kuku

udariti glavom o zid

ogr(ij)ešiti se o zakon

to violate a law (literally, “to make transgression against the law”)

brinuti se o nekome

v(ij)est o katastrofi

R(ij)eč je o…, radi se o…

Napisao sam esej o ranom srednjem vijeku.

I wrote an essay on the Early Middle Ages.

about, concerning, of, on [with locative]


o

Eye dialectal form of ô (“(masculine singular) at/to the”).


o

Eye dialectal form of 'ô (“(masculine singular) of the”), from the lenition of rhoticized (and dialectal) rô, from dô, from an earlier and standard dû.

A fera o luni.

(literally, “The market of the Monday.”)

A strata o Càrminu.

The street [of the church] of the Carmine.


o

Chudobný človek nevedel o ničom nič a najmenej o čertovi.

1883, Pavol Dobšinský, O človeku, čo nikdy nehrešil. In: Prostonárodné slovenské povesti

The poor man did not know anything about anything and the least did he know about the devil.

O polnoci sa Kozia skala otvorila a božská panna z jaskyne vyšla.

1921, Stanislav Klíma, Kozia skala In: Povesti zo Slovenska

Kozia skala opened at midnight and a divine virgin came out of a cave.

Juro zhodil batoh, odopäl bajonet a praštil ho o stôl.

Juro threw his bag down, unfastened the bayonet and slammed it against the table.

against, over, on (indicates the point of contact with another object) [with accusative]

Oddanca prevyšuje o hlavu, on takrečeno tratí sa pri jej mocnej, na mužského upomínajúcej postave.

She is a head taller than her fiancé, it might be said that he is disappearing next to her mighty figure resembling that of a man.

by, often translated with a noun accompanied by an indefinite article or a numeral (indicates measure or degree) [with accusative]

Už mal byť o rok posvätený, ale prišla cholera, a neúprosná smrť Ondríka skosila.

It should have been blessed in a year, but cholera came and Ondrík was taken by merciless death.

in, later (indicates the end of a period of time) [with accusative]


o

From Proto-Polynesian *o. Cognates include Hawaiian o and Samoan o.


o

ohonof (first-person singular)
ohonom (first-person plural)
ohonot (second-person singular)
ohonoch (plural second-person)
ohono m (singular third-person)
ohoni f (singular third-person)
ohonyn (plural third-person)
ohono i (first-person singular)
fi (first-person singular)
ohona i (first-person singular)
ono i (first-person singular)
ohonon ni (first-person plural)
onon ni (first-person plural)
ohonot ti (second-person singular)
onot ti (second-person singular)
ohona ti (second-person singular)
ohonoch chi (plural second-person)
onoch chi (plural second-person)
ohono fe (singular third-person)
fo (singular third-person)
ono fe (singular third-person)
fo m (singular third-person)
ohoni hi (singular third-person)
oni hi f (singular third-person)
ohonyn nhw (plural third-person)
onyn nhw (plural third-person)

From Proto-Brythonic *ọ, from Proto-Celtic *au, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew (“away, off”).

Aethon ni o Gaerdydd i Abertawe.
We went from Cardiff to Swansea.

Roedd llawer o frain yn y coed.

Mae'r tri ohonyn nhw'n dweud celwydd.

arbennig o bwysig

ofnadwy o garedig

Connects an adjective modifying another adjective (equivalent to adverb + adjective in English)

Mae pedwar deg saith o weithwyr gyda'r cwmni.

Connects a multi-word numeral to a plural noun


o

Aar was a gooude puddeen maate o bran.

1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 93:

Aar was Parick o Dearmoth, an dhen score besidh,

1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 94:

There was Patrick o Deormod, and ten score beside,

An a priesth o parieshe on his garrane baun,

The priest of the parish on his white pony,

Aar was a muskawn o buthther ee-laaide apan hoat shruaanès,

1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3, page 94:

There was a great heap of butter laid upon hot scraps,

An lea a pariesh o Kilmannan.

1867, “CASTEALE CUDDE'S LAMENTATION”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3, page 104:


o

Breton: a

Cornish: a

Welsh: o

From Proto-Celtic *ɸo, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂pó.


en

Used in various phrases borrowed from French or formed as if borrowed from French (see "Derived terms" below).


en

From Latin in, from Proto-Italic *en, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én (“in”).

En comiendo, voi marchar


en

From Latin in (“in, inside”), from Proto-Italic *en, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én (“in”).


en

Ĝi estas en la domo.

Li iras en la domon.

into (when followed by a noun or phrase in the accusative case)


en

From Old Galician-Portuguese en, from Latin in (“in”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én.

Cumu to é custión de proporciós, sin que sirva de argumentu por nun fel falta, poemus vel que en a misma Europa hai Estaus Soberarius con menus territoriu que os tres lugaris nossus, cumu: […]

2000, Domingo Frades Gaspar, Vamus a falal: Notas pâ coñocel y platical en nosa fala, Editora regional da Extremadura, Chapter 2: Númerus:

As everything is a matter of proportions, without its presence being an argument, we can see that even in Europe there are Sovereign States with less territory than our three places, such as: […]


en

From Middle French en, from Old French en, from Latin in, from Proto-Italic *en, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én (“in”).

J’habite en Angleterre.

in (used to indicate space, also see usage notes)

Il est allé en France.

to (indicates direction towards certain very large locations, see usage notes)

aller en bus

partir en voiture

Il me traite en ami.

habillé en père Noël

fort en histoire

une chaise en hêtre

une fourchette en métal

of, made of (used to describe composition)

en 1993

en janvier

en septembre 2001

in (during the following time (used for months and years))

C’est en trichant qu’il est devenu champion.

It was by cheating that he became champion.

(followed by a gerund) by, in (describing a way of getting something)

une photo en noir et blanc

en détresse

en équipe


en

From Old Galician-Portuguese en, from Latin in, from Proto-Italic *en, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én (“in”).

O Manuel vai na casa

Manuel went home (implying that eventually he'll be back)

María beberrica no licor

En escoitalo, señor tio Calacú, xà o peléxo do meu corpo tembra. Sei que á tanta agua que acarrexóu amolentoulle os miolos, é por eso louquéa

1822, anonymous author, A Parola Polêteca:

While listening to you, my sir uncle Pumpkin, my body's skin trembles. Perhaps the much water you have carried softened you brain, and therefore you are going insane

xa morder ti ben non podes
con tal podrico nos dentes,
inda no pan teño mentes
seique non podes chanchar

1853, Xosé Manuel Pintos, A Gaita Gallega:

you can no longer aptly eat
with such rottenness in you teeth,
even bread, I think,
probably you cannot gnaw [chanchar means "bite", but en preceding pan, "bread", implies a repeated action]

when preceding a verb or a complement of a verb it can denote an unfinished or continued action:


en

From French en, Spanish en, from Latin in, inde from Proto-Indo-European *én (“in”).


en

lad-prep

en (Latin spelling, Hebrew spelling אין)

En todas partes del mundo bivi,
i pedasos de mi alma abandoni

2000, David Altabé, “Ay koza triste en ser Sefaradi”, in Esther Benbassa, editor, Les Sépharades en littérature, page 164:

I've lived in all parts of the world,
and abandoned pieces of my soul

Deke la solidaridad es emportante? Porke la solidaridad es lo djusto. Porke; todos bivimos en una sosyetad...

2014, Şeli GAON, “La solidaridad”, in Şalom Gazetesi:

Why is solidarity important? Because solidarity is what is right. Because we all live in a society...


en

French: en


en

Middle French: en

French: en

Norman: en

Et pour ce qu’il se complaint moult de froit et horipilacion, pour ce au commencement on luy doit mettre les piés et les mains en eaue chaulde

1377, Bernard de Gordon, Fleur de lis de medecine (a.k.a. lilium medicine):

And if he complains about cold and shivers, to start with one must put his feet and is hands in hot water

qi en la crois fu mis

12th Century, Unknown, Raoul de Cambrai:

en paine

in (experiencing an emotion, a feeling, etc.)

en latin


en

Fala: en

Galician: en

Portuguese: em

From Latin in (“in”), from Proto-Italic *en, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én (“in”).

[C]omo hũa moller q̇ iogaua os dados en pulla lançou hũa pedra aa omagen de ſṫa maṙi[a] poꝛ q̇ perdera ⁊ parou un angeo de pedra que y eſtaua a mão ⁊ reçibiu o colpe.

13th century CE, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, Códice de los músicos, cantiga 294 ([[http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cantigas/facsimiles/E/524small.gif] facsimile])

How a woman who was playing dice in Apulia threw a stone at the statue of Holy Mary because she had lost, and an angel of stone which was there reached out its hand and received the blow.


en

From Old Spanish en, from Latin in, from Proto-Italic *en, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁én (“in”). Cognate with Old English in and English in.

Estoy en casa.

Estoy sentado en la computadora.

en esta página

en la caja en la mesa

en la antigüedad

en 1999

No conozco esta palabra en francés.

en todos los idiomas

Pienso en ti.

used after some verbs and translated by various prepositions in English

en el sentido

en nuestro afán


en

Old Latin: en

Latin: in (see there for further descendants)

desc

Oscan: en, -en, -𐌄𐌍 (-en), -𐌝𐌍 (-ín), 𐌄𐌌- (em-)

Paelignian: i, -e, em-, in-

South Picene: -𐌝𐌍 (-ín), -𐌄𐌍 (-en)

Umbrian: -𐌄𐌌 (-em), -𐌄𐌍 (-en), -𐌄 (-e), -em, -eme, en-

Venetic: 𐌄𐌔 (es, “unto”) (< *ens)


en

desctree

Proto-Brythonic: *ɨn
Middle Breton: en
Breton: e
Cornish: yn, en
Old Welsh: in
Middle Welsh: yn
Welsh: yn

Old Irish: i
Irish: i
Scottish Gaelic: an
Manx: ayns

From Proto-Indo-European *h₁én. Matasović reconstructs *eni for the whole preposition, but since the preposition triggers a nasal mutation/eclipsis instead of a lenition in its descendants, a closed syllable may be reconstructed instead. However, the attested closed syllable could be explained by the theory of the early apocope of final /i/ in unstressed words, usually used to explain the rise of the absolute and conjunct inflection in Old Irish (by treating conjunct forms in the unstressed category).


or

From Late Old English ār, from Old Norse ár. Compare ere.

Or euer the siluer corde be loosed, or the golden bowle be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountaine, or the wheele broken at the cisterne. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall returne vnto God who gaue it.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiastes 12:6-7:

I looked to heaven, and tried to pray;
But or ever a prayer had gusht,
A wicked whisper came, and made
My heart as dry as dust.

1834, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:

And Time went forth into the worlds to obey the commands of the gods, yet he cast furtive glances at his masters, and the gods distrusted Time because he had known the worlds or ever the gods became.

1906, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], Time and the Gods, London: William Heineman, →OCLC, page 3:

(now archaic or dialect) Before; ere. Followed by "ever" or "ere".


or

Han kom or fjellet, skulde heim, […].

1956, Olav H. Hauge, Gjer ein annan mann ei beine:

He came from the mountain, was heading home […] .


el

Obscure; may be derived from Latin ex (“out of”).

Tio estas ĉemizo el silko

El kie vi venis?
Mi venis el Nov-Jorko.
Where did you come from?
I came from New York.

Li estas la plej riĉa homo el la mondo.

1906, Louis de Beaufront, Grammaire et exercices de la langue internationale espéranto:

Li estas la malplej riĉa el ni.


for

From Middle English for, from Old English for (“for, because of”), from Proto-Germanic *furi (“for”), from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-.
Cognate with West Frisian foar (“for”), Dutch voor (“for”), German für (“for”), Danish for (“for”), Swedish för (“for”), Norwegian for (“for”), Icelandic fyrir (“for”), Latin per (“by, through, for, by means of”) and Romance language successors (e.g. Spanish para (“for”)), Ancient Greek περί (perí, “for, about, toward”), Lithuanian per (“by, through, during”), Sanskrit परि (pári, “over, around”).

cog

Latin per (“by, through, for, by means of”)

The astronauts headed for the moon.

Run for the hills!

He was headed for the door when he remembered.

Wee ſailed from Peru, (where wee had continued by the ſpace of one whole yeare,) for China and Iapan, by the South Sea; [...]

1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “New Atlantis. A Worke Vnfinished.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, page 1:

I have something for you.

Everything I do, I do for you.

We're having a birthday party for Janet.

The mayor gave a speech for the charity gala.

You, telling me the things you're gonna do for me.

1976, Michael McDonald (lyrics and music), “Takin' It to the Streets”, performed by The Doobie Brothers:

In order to help, benefit, gratify, honor etc. (someone or something).

If having to bag the groceries correctly is more than you can handle, then this isn't the job for you.

Befitting of someone’s beliefs, needs, wants, skills, or tastes; best suited to.

This is a new bell for my bicycle.

The cake is for Tom and Helen's anniversary.

These apples here are for eating. The rest are for throwing away.

To be used or treated in a stated way, or with a stated purpose.

All those for the motion, raise your hands.

Who's for ice-cream?

I'm for going by train

Ten voted for, and three against. (with implied object)

He wouldn't apologize; and just for that, she refused to help him.

He looks better for having lost weight. (UK usage)

She was the worse for drink.

I like her for lots of reasons.

with fiery eyes sparkling for very wrath

c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]:

"A summerly day for you," said my host; "You ought to be here in winter. It is impossible then to get out of the doors for the snow and wind. Ugh! dreadful weather!"

1867, Frederick Metcalfe, The Oxonian in Iceland, page 202:

I could not see his hands, for the thick gloves he wore, and his face was partially concealed by a red woollen comforter; but his entire appearance and manners tallied with what I had seen of Yorkshire farmerhood.

1864, George Etell Sargent, The Story of a City Arab, page 313:

This medicine is for your cough.

I need to spray my house for termites.

Intended to cure, remove or counteract; in order to cure, remove or counteract.

I've lived here for three years.

They fought for days over a silly pencil.

To guide the sun's bright chariot for a day.

-a/-e/-ja/-je (e.g. egy órája, as in "s/he has/had been waiting for an hour")

-ig (e.g. egy óráig, as in "s/he waited / waits / will wait for an hour")

use the accusative case with no preposition

I can see for miles.

For many miles about / There's scarce a bush.

c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:

Throughout or across (a distance in space).

It is unreasonable for our boss to withhold our wages.

All I want is for you to be happy.

Used to introduce a subject of a to-infinitive clause.

I will stand in for him.

I speak for the Prime Minister.

I used a hay bale for a bed.

He's got a turnip for a brain.

In the role or capacity of; instead of; in place of.

I got five hundred pounds for that old car!

He matched me blow for blow.

And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 21:23-24:

In exchange for; in correspondence or equivalence with.

I am aiming for completion by the end of business Thursday.

He's going for his doctorate.

Do you want to go for coffee?

People all over Greece looked to Delphi for answers.

Can you go to the store for some eggs?

I'm saving up for a car.

Don't wait for an answer.

What did he ask you for?

For we would have you know it, / The loſs will fall on us, not on the Poet: / For he writes not for money, nor for praiſe, / Nor to be call'd a Wit, nor to wear Bayes: […]

1641 (first performance), [John Denham], “The Prologue”, in The Sophy. […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for H[enry] Herringman, […], published 1667, →OCLC:

Fair for its day.

She's spry for an old lady.

He's very mature, for a two-year-old.

By the standards of, usually with the implication that those standards are lower than one might otherwise expect; considering.

Don't take me for a fool.

17th century Abraham Cowley, Of Wit
We take a falling meteor for a star.

if a man can be persuaded and fully assured of anything for a truth without having examined, what is there that he may not embrace for truth ?

a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706, →OCLC:

Most of our ingenious young men take up some cry'd-up English poet for their model.

c. 1690, John Dryden, Translations (Preface)

But let her go for an ungrateful woman.

1712, Ambrose Philips, The Distrest Mother:

They knew him for a stranger.

1976, Louis L’Amour, chapter 2, in The Rider of Lost Creek, Bantam Dell, →ISBN:

For all his expensive education, he didn't seem very bright.

"You must keep your head. There is still hope." "Hope!" "Yes; plentiful hope -- for all this destruction!"

1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 113:

1892 August 6, "The Unbidden Guest", in Charles Dickens, Jr. (editor), All the Year Round, page 133,
Mr. Joseph Blenkinshaw was perhaps not worth quite so much as was reported; but for all that he was a very wealthy man […]

For all his faults, there had been something lofty and great about him - as a judge, as a patron of education, as a builder, as an international figure.

1968, J. J. Scarisbrick, Henry VIII, page 240:

(usually in the phrase 'for all') Despite, in spite of.

O for the wings of a dove.

Ah! for wings to soar …

And now for a slap-up meal!

O For a Muſe of Fire, that would aſcend / The brighteſt Heauen of Inuention :

1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act PROLOGUE, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:

Oh! but to breathe the air / By their side under summer skies! To watch the blush on their cheeks, / The light in their liquid eyes. / Oh! but for one short hour, / To whisper a word of love; […]

1858 March 27, “The Lay of the Brief”, in Punch, Or, The London Charivari, page 129:

Indicating something desired or anticipated.

Go scuba diving? For one thing, I can't even swim.

For another, we don't have any equipment.

(in expressions such as 'for a start') Introducing the first item(s) in a potential sequence .

He is named for his grandfather.

(with names, chiefly US) In honor of; after.

He totally screwed up that project. Now he's surely for the sack.

(UK) Due for or facing (a certain outcome or fate).

Due for or facing (a certain outcome or fate).

In term of base hits, Jones was three for four on the day

(chiefly US) Out of; used to indicate a fraction, a ratio

Out of; used to indicate a fraction, a ratio

At close of play, England were 305 for 3.

(cricket) Used as part of a score to indicate the number of wickets that have fallen.

We'll have a bib, for spoiling of thy doublet.

1609–1612, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Captaine”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene v:

(obsolete) Indicating that in prevention of which, or through fear of which, anything is done.

to account for one's whereabouts    to care for a relative    to settle for second best    to allow for mistakes

Used in various more-or-less idiomatic ways to construe individual verbs, indicating various semantic relationships such as target, purpose, result, etc.; see also the entries for individual phrasal verbs, e.g. ask for, look for, stand for, etc.

He took the swing shift for he could get more overtime.


for

隻叉係for食蛋糕嘅。

只叉系for食蛋糕嘅。

(Hong Kong Cantonese) for; for the purpose of

ni¹ go³ wai⁶⁻² hai⁶ fo⁶ zoeng² ze² co⁵ gaa³.

呢個位係for長者坐㗎。

呢个位系for长者坐㗎。

Would the portion this meal set be too little, if it were for three people to consume?

go³ set¹ jyu⁴ gwo² fo⁶ saam¹ go³ jan⁴⁻² sik⁶ wui⁵ m⁴ wui⁵ taai³ sai³ fan⁶?

個set如果for三個人食會唔會太細份？

个set如果for三个人食会唔会太细份？

(Hong Kong Cantonese) for; for the sake of; intended to belong to or used by


for

From Old Danish for, from Proto-Germanic *furai (in Western Old Norse replaced by the variant Old Norse fyrr, from Proto-Germanic *furiz, *furi, = Danish before).


for

Borrowing from English far (from). Compare Esperanto for.


for

From Old English for, from Proto-Germanic *fura, *furi.


for

Irish: ar (partially)

Manx: er (partially)

Scottish Gaelic: air (partially)

From Old Irish for, from Proto-Celtic *uɸor, from Proto-Indo-European *uper.

Boí rí amra for Laignib, .i. Mac Dathó a ainm.

c. 1000, “The Tale of Mac Da Thó's Pig”, in Ernst Windisch, editor, Irische Texte, volume 1, published 1800, section 1:

There was a wonderful king over the Leinstermen; Mac Dathó was his name.


for

Pass deg for snøskred!

Eg bur sør for byen.


for

Middle English: for

English: for

Scots: for

Yola: vor, var

late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Sebastian, Martyr"
Þa wurdon hi ealle þurh þæt wundor ablicgede and þæs þægnes gebedda ðe þa gebroþra heold wæs for six gearum for swiðlicre untrumnysse...

Then they were all astonished at that miracle; and the wife of the officer, who had charge of the brothers, for six years, through a severe sickness...

c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Luke 9:24

Whoever destroys their soul for me will save it.

Sē þe his sāwle for mē forspilþ, hē hīe ġehǣlþ.

c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Paul the Apostle"
Petrus āna spræc for ealne þone hēap.

Paul by himself spoke for the whole group.

for (on behalf of, instead of) (+ accusative)

Hē swealt for swelċe... twām þūsendum ġēara.

c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English
Is nū for þȳ Godes þēowum and mynstermannum ġeorne tō wearnienne þæt sēo hālġe lār on ūrum dagum ne ācōliġe oþþe ātēoriġe swā swā hit wæs ġedōn on Angelcynne nū for ānum fēawum gēarum, swā þæt nān Englisċ prēost ne cūðe dihtan oþþe āsmēaġan ānne pistol on Lǣden, oþ þæt Dūnstān ærċebisċop and Æðelwold bisċop eft þā lāre on munuclīfum ārǣrdon.
That's why God's servants and monks should be very careful not to let this sacred learning cool or fade in our time, the way it did in England a few years ago, when none of our priests could compose or interpret a letter in Latin, until archbishop Dunstan and bishop Æthelwold revived learning in monastic life.

Hēo swealt fefre, for eallum hire dǣdum.

She died of a fever, despite all her deeds.

(Usually in the phrase for eall) for all, despite, in spite of (+ dative)


for

form (first-person singular)
formsa (emphatic first-person singular)
forumsa (emphatic first-person singular)
fort (second-person singular)
fortsu (emphatic second-person singular)
for (dative masculine neuter singular third-person)
foir (accusative masculine neuter singular third-person)
fair (accusative masculine neuter singular third-person)
foirsom (accusative emphatic masculine neuter singular third-person)
foirsem (accusative emphatic masculine neuter singular third-person)
furi (dative feminine singular third-person)
fuiri (dative feminine singular third-person)
forrae (accusative feminine singular third-person)
fornn (first-person plural)
furnn (first-person plural)
fornni (emphatic first-person plural)
forunni (emphatic first-person plural)
furib (plural second-person)
fuirib (plural second-person)
forib (plural second-person)
foirib (plural second-person)
furibsi (emphatic plural second-person)
fuiribsi (emphatic plural second-person)
forib (dative plural third-person)
foraib (dative plural third-person)
foribsom (dative emphatic plural third-person)
foraibsom (dative emphatic plural third-person)
forru (accusative plural third-person)
forrusom (accusative emphatic plural third-person)

desctree

Middle Irish: for
Irish: ar (partially)
Manx: er (partially)
Scottish Gaelic: air (partially)

From Proto-Celtic *uɸor-, from Proto-Indo-European *upér.


again

From Middle English agayn, from Old English onġēan (“against, again”), from Proto-West Germanic [Term?]. Cognate with Old Frisian ajēn (whence North Frisian ijen (“against”)), Old Saxon angegin, Danish igen (“again”), Swedish igen (“again”), and Norwegian Bokmål igjen (“again”). By surface analysis, on- + gain (“against”).

surf

And here begynneth the treson of Kynge Marke that he ordayned agayne Sir Trystram.

1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book X:

Ah'd like to wahrn (warn) thi agaan 'evvin owt to dew wi' that chap.

1924, J H Wilkinson, Leeds Dialect Glossary and Lore, page 60:

You may think you are all on the same side, agin the government.

2003, Glasgow Sunday Herald, page 16, column 2


again

From Middle English agayn, again, ayain, ayen, anȝen, from Old English āġēan, onġēan, onġeġn (“towards, against, opposite to, contrary to, against, in exchange for, opposite, back, again, anew, also”).

against, opposed to (literally or figuratively)


pi

pirë (participle)
duke pirë (gerund)
për të pirë (infinitive)
pi (first-person indicative present singular)
pi (indicative present second-person singular)
pi (indicative present singular third-person)
pimë (first-person indicative plural present)
pini (indicative plural present second-person)
pinë (indicative plural present third-person)
pija (first-person imperfect indicative singular)
pije (imperfect indicative second-person singular)
pinte (imperfect indicative singular third-person)
pinim (first-person imperfect indicative plural)
pinit (imperfect indicative plural second-person)
pinin (imperfect indicative plural third-person)
piva (aorist first-person indicative singular)
pive (aorist indicative second-person singular)
piu (aorist indicative singular third-person)
pimë (aorist first-person indicative plural)
pitë (aorist indicative plural second-person)
pinë (aorist indicative plural third-person)
kam pirë (first-person indicative perfect singular)
ke pirë (indicative perfect second-person singular)
ka pirë (indicative perfect singular third-person)
kemi pirë (first-person indicative perfect plural)
keni pirë (indicative perfect plural second-person)
kanë pirë (indicative perfect plural third-person)
kisha pirë (first-person indicative past perfect singular)
kishe pirë (indicative past perfect second-person singular)
kishte pirë (indicative past perfect singular third-person)
kishim pirë (first-person indicative past perfect plural)
kishit pirë (indicative past perfect plural second-person)
kishin pirë (indicative past perfect plural third-person)
pata pirë (first-person indicative singular)
pate pirë (indicative second-person singular)
pati pirë (indicative singular third-person)
patëm pirë (first-person indicative plural)
patët pirë (indicative plural second-person)
patën pirë (indicative plural third-person)
do të pi (first-person future indicative singular)
do të pish (future indicative second-person singular)
do të pijë (future indicative singular third-person)
do të pimë (first-person future indicative plural)
do të pini (future indicative plural second-person)
do të pinë (future indicative plural third-person)
do të kem pirë (first-person future indicative perfect singular)
do të kesh pirë (future indicative perfect second-person singular)
do të ketë pirë (future indicative perfect singular third-person)
do të kemi pirë (first-person future indicative perfect plural)
do të keni pirë (future indicative perfect plural second-person)
do të kenë pirë (future indicative perfect plural third-person)
të pi (first-person present singular subjunctive)
të pish (present second-person singular subjunctive)
të pijë (present singular subjunctive third-person)
të pimë (first-person plural present subjunctive)
të pini (plural present second-person subjunctive)
të pinë (plural present subjunctive third-person)
të pija (first-person imperfect singular subjunctive)
të pije (imperfect second-person singular subjunctive)
të pinte (imperfect singular subjunctive third-person)
të pinim (first-person imperfect plural subjunctive)
të pinit (imperfect plural second-person subjunctive)
të pinin (imperfect plural subjunctive third-person)
të kem pirë (first-person perfect singular subjunctive)
të kesh pirë (perfect second-person singular subjunctive)
të ketë pirë (perfect singular subjunctive third-person)
të kemi pirë (first-person perfect plural subjunctive)
të keni pirë (perfect plural second-person subjunctive)
të kenë pirë (perfect plural subjunctive third-person)
të kisha pirë (first-person past perfect singular subjunctive)
të kishe pirë (past perfect second-person singular subjunctive)
të kishte pirë (past perfect singular subjunctive third-person)
të kishim pirë (first-person past perfect plural subjunctive)
të kishit pirë (past perfect plural second-person subjunctive)
të kishin pirë (past perfect plural subjunctive third-person)
do të pija (conditional first-person imperfect singular)
do të pije (conditional imperfect second-person singular)
do të pinte (conditional imperfect singular third-person)
do të pinim (conditional first-person imperfect plural)
do të pinit (conditional imperfect plural second-person)
do të pinin (conditional imperfect plural third-person)
do të kisha pirë (conditional first-person past perfect singular)
do të kishe pirë (conditional past perfect second-person singular)
do të kishte pirë (conditional past perfect singular third-person)
do të kishim pirë (conditional first-person past perfect plural)
do të kishit pirë (conditional past perfect plural second-person)
do të kishin pirë (conditional past perfect plural third-person)
pifsha (first-person optative present singular)
pifsh (optative present second-person singular)
piftë (optative present singular third-person)
pifshim (first-person optative plural present)
pifshit (optative plural present second-person)
pifshin (optative plural present third-person)
paça pirë (first-person optative perfect singular)
paç pirë (optative perfect second-person singular)
pastë pirë (optative perfect singular third-person)
paçim pirë (first-person optative perfect plural)
paçit pirë (optative perfect plural second-person)
paçin pirë (optative perfect plural third-person)
pikkam (admirative first-person present singular)
pikke (admirative present second-person singular)
pikka (admirative present singular third-person)
pikkemi (admirative first-person plural present)
pikkeni (admirative plural present second-person)
pikkan (admirative plural present third-person)
pikkësha (admirative first-person imperfect singular)
pikkëshe (admirative imperfect second-person singular)
pikkësh (admirative imperfect singular third-person)
pikkej (admirative imperfect singular third-person)
pikkëshim (admirative first-person imperfect plural)
pikkëshit (admirative imperfect plural second-person)
pikkëshin (admirative imperfect plural third-person)
paskam pirë (admirative first-person perfect singular)
paske pirë (admirative perfect second-person singular)
paska pirë (admirative perfect singular third-person)
paskemi pirë (admirative first-person perfect plural)
paskeni pirë (admirative perfect plural second-person)
paskan pirë (admirative perfect plural third-person)
paskësha pirë (admirative first-person past perfect singular)
paskëshe pirë (admirative past perfect second-person singular)
paskësh pirë (admirative past perfect singular third-person)
paskëshim pirë (admirative first-person past perfect plural)
paskëshit pirë (admirative past perfect plural second-person)
paskëshin pirë (admirative past perfect plural third-person)
pi (imperative present second-person singular)
pini (imperative plural present second-person)

From Old Albanian pii, from Proto-Albanian *pīja, from Proto-Indo-European *pih₃-, *peh₃- probably via the reduplicated form *píph₃eti; compare Greek πίνω (píno), Serbo-Croatian pìti, Italian bere. Orel compares the similarity between Proto-Albanian *pīja and Proto-Slavic *pijǫ; Tomaschek compares Tosk pirë/Gheg pinë with Thracian πίνον (pínon, “beer”).

Pi ku ije?


after

Northern England, other non-rhotic without the trap–bath split

From Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic *after, *aftiri, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epoteros (“further behind, further away”), from *h₂epo (“off, away”).
Cognate with Scots efter (“after”), North Frisian efter (“after, behind”), West Frisian after, achter, efter (“behind; after”), Low German/Dutch achter (“behind”), German after- (“after-”), Swedish/Danish efter (“after”), Norwegian etter (“after”), Icelandic eftir (“after”), aftur (“back, again”).
The Irish usage to indicate recent completion of an activity is a calque of the Irish collocation Táim tar éis... (“I have just...”, literally “I am after...”).

уашҭан

subsequently; following in time; later than

-rraar- (postbase used with subordinative mood endings)

close the barn door after the horse has bolted

close the stable door after the horse has been stolen

close the stable door after the horse has bolted

lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen

lock the stable door after the horse has bolted

shut the stable door after the horse has bolted

After your bad behaviour, you will be punished.

Subsequently to; following in time; later than.

I’m not putting you in charge again after the last disaster.

After all that has happened, he is still my friend.

I can’t believe that, after all our advice against gambling, you walked into that casino!

I'm tired of picking up after you. Why can't you clean your own messes?

(often with verbs related to cleaning or tidying) Subsequently to the actions of (someone), in order to remedy a situation.

day after day, time after time, mile after mile, beer after beer, smile after smile

(in reduplicative expressions) Repeatedly, seemingly in a sequence without end.

I was after finishing my dinner when there was a knock on the door. [= I had just finished my dinner when ...]

He was after walking on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before, all the way from the County Limerick, where his brother, Father John, has a parish; and you may believe, the poor man was tired

1875, Patrick Kennedy, Evenings in the Duffrey, page 283:

Mother: Let him get away out of this now, himself and his share of songs. Look at the way he has your bib destroyed that I was after washing in the morning!

1906, Lady Gregory, “A Miracle Play”, in The Shanachie, volume 1:

When I woke up it was black-dark and the music was after stopping. I could taste the bread I was after eating in the dream, as sweet and luscious as any I ever knew

2004, Joseph O'Connor, Star of the Sea, page 40:

He asked directions to the dairy those milk cans had shown up late at. Corrigan pointed back the way he'd come and explained, “You'd have been after riding past their loading platform because they don't have their sign overlooking where the train would be after stopping.

2004, Tabor Evans, Longarm and the Great Milk Train Robbery:

"Yes. And where were you when the flood broke loose?" / "I would be most of the way to the Old House then. O'Loughlin was after running in wild to tell me he was hearing the Banshee out at The Old House, […]."

2008, M. P. Shiel, The Black Box, page 45:

(Ireland, Newfoundland, usually preceded by a form of be, followed by an -ing form of a verb) Used to indicate recent completion of an activity.

We had a few beers after the game.

The time is a quarter after eight. (chiefly US)

The Cold War began shortly after WWII.

After you with the salt and pepper.

I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

After early sparring, Spurs started to take control as the interval approached and twice came close to taking the lead. Terry blocked Rafael van der Vaart's header on the line and the same player saw his cross strike the post after Adebayor was unable to apply a touch.

2012 April 15, Phil McNulty, “Tottenham 1-5 Chelsea”, in BBC:

From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.

2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:

He will leave a trail of destruction after him.

I told her to shut the door after her.

Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps,[…], and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

He’s after a job; run after him; inquire after her health.

We named him after his grandfather.

This painting is after Leonardo da Vinci.

Work your horse in a calade, after the Italian way; ride him straight, and then you make good use of the calade.

In allusion to, in imitation of; following or referencing.

պատվին

in allusion to, in imitation of; following or referencing

The princess is next in line to the throne after the prince.

Below, often next below, in importance or rank.

to look after workmen; to enquire after a friend; to thirst after righteousness

Denoting the aim or object; concerning; in relation to.

(obsolete) According to (an author or text).

He takes greatness of kingdoms according to bulk and currency, and not after their intrinsic value.

a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a VVarre vvith Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany VVorks of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC:

(obsolete) According to the direction and influence of; in proportion to; befitting.


after

From Middle High German after, from Old High German after.

Nun fragte der Forderer weiter an: wer irgend einen von ihnen after dem Tage hause oder hofe, d. h. zu Hause oder Hofe beherberge, wie der ihm zu Rechte bestanden sein. [...] Auf die fernere Frage des Forderers: ob er ihrer einen after dem Tage ansichtig werde, wie oder mit wem er sie aufhalten sollte, erklärte man ihm […]

1853, Gustav Eduard Benseler, Geschichte Freibergs und seines Bergbaues. Erste Abtheilung, Freiberg, page 251:


after

From Proto-Germanic *after, whence also Old English æfter, Old Norse aptr. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epótero- (“further behind, further away”), comparative form of *apo- (“off, behind”).

after zweim tagon

after antreitu


after

desctree

Proto-West Germanic: *aftar
Old English: æfter
Middle English: æfter, efter, after
Scots: efter
English: after
Old Frisian: efter, after
North Frisian: efter
Saterland Frisian: ätter
West Frisian: efter; after, achter
Old Saxon: aftar, after
Middle Low German: after, achter, echter
Low German: achter, aster
German Low German: achter; ächter (Münsterländisch & Paderbornisch)
Old Dutch: after, aftir
Middle Dutch: after, affter, achter, echter
Dutch: achter; after (dialectal)
Afrikaans: agter
Old High German: after, aftar; ahter (northern)
Middle High German: after; *ahter, *achter
German: after; After
Luxembourgish: uechter (“throughout”)

desc

Proto-Norse: ᚨᚠᛏᛖᚱ (after), ᛡᚠᚨᛏᛉ (ᴀfatʀ /afᵃtr/)

desctree

Old Norse: eptir, ept, at, ᛁᚠᛏᛁᛦ (iftiʀ), ᛁᚠᛏᛁᚱ (iftir), ᛁᛒᛏᛁᛦ (ibtiʀ), ᛅᚠᛏᛁᛦ (aftiʀ), ᚬᚠᛏᛁᛦ (ąftiʀ), ᛅᛒᛏᛁᛦ (abtiʀ)
Icelandic: eftir
Faroese: eftir
Norn: efter
Middle Norwegian: ettir
Norwegian Nynorsk: etter
→ Norwegian Bokmål: etter
Old Jamtish: efti
Jamtish: ette
Elfdalian: etter
Old Swedish: æptir, æftir, ættir
Swedish: efter
Old Danish: æftær, æftir
Danish: efter
Norwegian Bokmål: efter (unofficial, riksmål)
Scanian: ætte
Old Gutnish: eptir, aktr, ebtir, efter, eftir, epter
Gutnish: etta, ettar, yttur (fårö)

From the locative form of Pre-Germanic *h₂ep(o)teros, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“away, off, from”) + *-teros.


MA

Abbreviation of meilleur avant (“best before”): BB


ass

assym (first-person singular)
assyd (second-person singular)
ass (masculine singular third-person)
assjee (singular)
assdooin (first-person plural)
assdiu (plural second-person)
assdaue (plural third-person)
assyms (emphatic first-person singular)
assyds (emphatic second-person singular)
assyn (emphatic masculine singular third-person)
assjeeish (emphatic singular)
assdooinyn (emphatic first-person plural)
assdiuish (emphatic plural second-person)
assdauesyn (emphatic plural third-person)

From Old Irish ass, masculine and neuter singular form of a (“out of, from”), from Proto-Celtic *exs, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs (“from”). Compare Irish as.


bei

Jank bei der Wage on waat do op mich!

(most dialects) at; with; by; near; (close) to

bem

with the masculine and neuter dative of the definite article


bei

From Middle High German bī, from Old High German bī, from Proto-West Germanic *bī, from Proto-Germanic *bi. More at by.

die Bank bei der Kirche

die Bäckerei beim Bahnhof

Ich schlafe bei Peter.

Ich bin beim Metzger.

bei der Firma arbeiten

das Arbeitsklima bei Schmidt & Co.

(with an organization or company) for; at; in

Er hat es nicht bei sich. ― He doesn’t have it on him.
→ for which usually: Er hat es nicht dabei.

bei Abfahrt des Zuges

(with an event considered certain) upon, at the time of

bei Hochwasser

(with an event considered theoretical) in case of, in the event of

bei der Arbeit

beim Lesen des Textes

bei Schnee

(with a continuing activity or condition) during; while; during the existence of

bei einem Glas Wein

over a glass of wine (that is, while drinking it)

bei einem Film

during a film (that is, while watching it)

(with an item that implies an activity) over; during

Frau Tina Müller bei Firma Schmidt & Co.

(dated, in a postal address) care of; via

Leg dat bei die andern Sachen!

Komm ma bei mich!

(now dialectal, nonstandard, northern and central Germany) with, to, towards [with accusative]


bei

From Old High German bī, from Proto-Germanic *bi.

De Schlëssel läit bei der Dier.

Gëschter den Nomëtteg sinn ech bei den Dokter gaangen.

Yesterday afternoon I went to the doctor's.

at, to (the home or workplace of someone)

Wunns du nach bei dengen Elteren?


bei

Compare German bei, Dutch bij, English by.


air

head

air (+ dative, triggers lenition in certain established phrases)

in certain established phrases (triggers-lenition)
orm (first-person singular)
ormsa (emphatic first-person singular)
ort (second-person singular)
ortsa (emphatic second-person singular)
air (masculine singular third-person)
airsan (emphatic masculine singular third-person)
oirre (feminine singular third-person)
oirrese (emphatic feminine singular third-person)
oirnn (first-person plural)
oirnne (emphatic first-person plural)
oirbh (plural second-person)
oirbhse (emphatic plural second-person)
orra (plural third-person)
orrasan (emphatic plural third-person)

From a conflation of three Old Irish prepositions:
# ar, air (“for”) (triggering lenition), from Proto-Celtic *ɸare (“in front of”), from Proto-Indo-European *pr̥h₂i. Cognates include Ancient Greek παρά (pará, “beside”) and English fore.
# for (“on”) (triggering no mutation), from Proto-Celtic *uɸor (“over, on”) (compare Welsh ar, Breton war), from Proto-Indo-European *upér (compare Latin super, Ancient Greek ὑπέρ (hupér), Old English ofer).
# íar (“after”) (triggering eclipsis), from Proto-Celtic *eɸirom (“after, behind”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi.
Cognates include Irish ar and Manx er.

air bàrr a' bhalla

tha mi air an rathad

air m' fhacal, chan innis mi dhi

beag air bheag

little by little (literally, “little on little”)

air a' Ghàidhealtachd

air an dùthaich

iomradh air do ghliocas

air ainm

theich an duine orm

dè an t-ainm a tha ort?

what's your name? (literally, “what the name that is on you?”)

tha an t-acras orm

I'm hungry (literally, “the hunger is on me”)

tha falt dubh orra

they have black hair (literally, “black hair is on them”)

tha an cnatan oirre

she has a bad cold (literally, “the cold is on her”)

(idiomatic) Used to indicate inalienable possession, feelings and minor medical conditions

air an adhbhar sin

air bheag de làithean

for, on account of, by means of, through, within (triggers lenition)

bha mi air bhoil às dèidh dhomh siud fhaicinn

bhiomaid air chall nan robh sinn anns a' choille ud

thèid mi air chèilidh air mo sheanmhair

Used with a verbal noun to indicate a state (triggers lenition)

tha e air ri phàigheadh

he has to pay (literally, “it is on him to pay”)

(in conjunction with the verb bi) must, have to

rud air choreigin

(in one common phrase) or (triggers lenition)

tha mi air an obair a dhèanamh

I have done the work (literally, “I am after the work its doing”)

bha iad uile air falbh sa mhadainn

they had all left in the morning (literally, “they were all after leaving in the morning”)

bhithinn air faighinn às leis

I would have gotten away with it (literally, “I would be after getting away with it”)

Used with a verbal noun to indicate the perfect tense; after


air

deich air fhichead

a' dol air beinn

form of thar; rarely used outside of the old counting system


ag

agam (first-person singular)
agamsa (emphatic first-person singular)
agat (second-person singular)
agatsa (emphatic second-person singular)
aige (masculine singular third-person)
aigesean (emphatic masculine singular third-person)
aici (feminine singular third-person)
aicise (emphatic feminine singular third-person)
againn (first-person plural)
againne (emphatic first-person plural)
agaibh (plural second-person)
agaibhse (emphatic plural second-person)
acu (plural third-person)
acusan (emphatic plural third-person)

From Middle Irish oc, ac, ic, from Old Irish oc, occ. Compare Scottish Gaelic aig.

Bhí sé go deas ag Cáit a dhul leat.
It was nice of Cáit to go with you.

Tá sé éasca agat sin a rá.

Tá go leor acu anseo.

Tá duine againn tinn.

an teach seo againne

na bróga sin agatsa

of (to indicate possession emphatically, used after a noun qualified by seo (“this”) or sin (“that”))

Tá teach ag Seán.
Seán has a house.

used with forms of bí (“to be”) to indicate possession in place of a verb meaning ‘have’

Tá an teach péinteáilte ag Seán.
Seán has painted the house.

used with forms of bí (“to be”) and a past participle to indicate a perfect tense

Tá Spáinnis agam.

Tá caint agam.

Tá ceol agam.

used with forms of bí (“to be”) to indicate ability to do something


ag

→ Yola: ug

Reduced form of chuig, assimilated in all forms to Etymology 1.

Tá mé ag dul ag an dochtúr.

(colloquial) Alternative form of chuig (“to (a person or place)”)


ag

From Old Welsh (h)ac ‘and’, from Proto-Brythonic *atkʷe, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ét-kʷe (compare Breton hag and Cornish hag); identical to Latin atque. Doublet of Welsh ac.


tan

tan (triggers soft mutation on a following noun)

tanof (first-person singular)
tanom (first-person plural)
tanot (second-person singular)
tanoch (plural second-person)
tano m (singular third-person)
tani f (singular third-person)
tanynt (plural third-person)
tan (mutation mutation-radical)
dan (mutation mutation-soft)
nhan (mutation mutation-nasal)
than (mutation mutation-aspirate)

From Middle Welsh tan, from Proto-Brythonic *tan, from Proto-Celtic *tanai, dative of *tanā, from Proto-Indo-European *tn̥néh₂.


tan

Old Breton: tan, dan

Middle Cornish: tan

Cornish: tann, yn-dann

Middle Welsh: tan

Welsh: tan


om

From Old Norse um, from Proto-Germanic *umbi. Cognate with German um (“about”).

Han viklede dem om sin lillefinger.
He wrapped them around his pinky finger.


om

om (prepositional)
om (adverb postpositional)
erom
hierom
daarom
waarom
ergens om
nergens om
overal om

From Middle Dutch ombe, omme, from Old Dutch umbi, umbe, from Proto-West Germanic *umbi.

Ik sta om vijf uur buiten.

Zij vochten om de macht.

for (some purpose or object), concerning


om

From Old Norse um, from Proto-Germanic *umbi (“around, about”).
* As a conjunction, um superseded or blended with Old Norse ef and em, taking on their function as well. This is from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”), whence also English if and German ob.

Bind et rep om halsen hans!

Jeg kommer om ti minutter.

(when speaking of time) in (after a period of time)

Vi snakket nettopp om deg.

om våren

om kvelden

during, in (with words for seasons or times of the day)


om

From the earlier, Old Norse preposition um, from Proto-Germanic *umbi (“around, about”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi (“by, around”), from earlier *h₂ntbʰi, instrumental case form to *h₂énts (“face”). Doublet of ambi- and amfi.
* As a conjunction, um superseded or blended with Old Norse ef and em, taking on their function as well. This is from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”), whence also English if and German ob.

inh

Bind eit reip om halsen på han!

Eg kjem om ti minutt.

in (when speaking of time) (after a period of time)

om våren

om kvelden

in (with words for seasons or times of the day)

Me snakka nettopp om deg.

Me køyrde til Bergen om Hardanger
We drove to Bergen via Hardanger


om

From Old Norse um, from Proto-Germanic *umbi, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi.
* As a conjunction, um superseded or blended with Old Norse ef and em, taking on their function as well. This is from Proto-Germanic *jabai (“when, if”), whence also English if and German ob.

en bok om tåg

Vi har pratat om dig

Vad pratar de om?

om tio minuter

Vem kan komma på festen jag ska ha om en vecka?

Who can come to the party I will have in a week?

Han har ett rep om sin hals

De flyttade om möblerna

Kocken rörde om i grytan

om våren

om kvällarna

Han röker fem cigaretter om dagen

Jag jobbar nästan alla dagar om året

De reser till Finland två gånger om året

a (only when speaking about frequencies); per

till vänster om kylskåpet

norr om staden

Ta hand om det!


om

From Old Frisian umbe, from Proto-Germanic *umbi, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi.


bai

Evribadi av di rait fi uon prapati bai demself ar wid ada piipl.

2023, Yuunivorshal Deklarieshan a Yuuman Raits, United Nations, Aatikl 17:

Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.


del

From Middle English telle, tille, from Old English til.

Del Ich.

1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY:

Hea raan awye del hea caame neeghe Burstheoune.

1867, “JAMEEN QOUGEELY EE-PEALTHE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 110, lines 2-3:

He ran away until he came nigh to Bridgetown.


hi

(Ikalẹ) to, at, toward (used when movement is implied)


gun

head

gun (+ nominative, triggers lenition except before d, t, n or s)

except before d (triggers-lenition)
t (triggers-lenition)

gun teagamh

gun chàr

thuirt mi ris gun a dhol a-mach


ant

Inherited from Old Lithuanian añt, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-t. Compare Sudovian an.

Jis sėdi ant kėdės.


gans

genev (first-person singular)
genen (first-person plural)
genes (second-person singular)
genowgh (plural second-person)
ganso (m) (singular third-person)
gensi (f) (singular third-person)
gansans (plural third-person)
gansa (plural third-person)
genef (first-person singular)
genama (first-person singular)
genen (first-person plural)
genes (second-person singular)
genowgh (plural second-person)
ganso (m) (singular third-person)
gensy (f) (singular third-person)
gansans (plural third-person)
gansa (plural third-person)
genam (first-person singular)
genama (first-person singular)
gena (first-person singular)
genen (first-person plural)
gena nei (first-person plural)
genes (second-person singular)
gena jy (second-person singular)
genowgh (plural second-person)
gena hwei (plural second-person)
ganjo (m) (singular third-person)
gans ev (m) (singular third-person)
genjy (f) (singular third-person)
gans hei (f) (singular third-person)
ganjans (plural third-person)
gans anjei (plural third-person)

From Old Cornish cant, from Proto-Celtic *kanta (“together with”).

with (expresses possession of something on one's person)

by (indicates the actor of a clause in the passive voice)


son

A contraction of er son, from Middle Irish ar son of unknown etymology. Cognate to Irish ar son and Scottish Gaelic airson; see the Irish entry for further etymology.

Cur booise da Jee son dty hlaynt.

Eeckee oo son shen.

C're vees ain son jinnair?

Dy cadjin ta mee ec y thie son queig er y chlag.

Cha nel ee son credjal yn irriney.

Cha nel eh son poosey.

As myr shen, bee oo son gee?


bee

From Middle English by, be, from Old English bi, from Proto-West Germanic *bī. Cognates include English by and Scots by.


from

From Middle English from (“from”), from Old English from, fram (“forward, from”), from Proto-West Germanic *fram, from Proto-Germanic *fram (“forward, from, away”). Cognate with Old Saxon fram (“from”) and Old High German fram (“from”), Danish frem (“forth, forward”), Danish fra (“from”), Swedish fram (“forth, forward”), Swedish från (“from”), Norwegian Nynorsk fram (“forward”), Norwegian Nynorsk frå (“from”), Icelandic fram (“forward, on”), Icelandic frá (“from”), Albanian pre, prej. More at fro.

مِن

with the origin, starting point or initial reference of or at

مِن

with the separation, exclusion or differentiation of

mod

when used as protection from someone/something

appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober

Paul is from New Zealand.

I got a letter from my brother.

You can't get all your news from the Internet.

Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out.[…]. Ikey the blacksmith had forged us a spearhead after a sketch from a picture of a Greek warrior; and a rake-handle served as a shaft.

1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:

There were many wooden chairs for the bulk of his visitors, and two wicker armchairs with red cloth cushions for superior people. From the packing-cases had emerged some Indian clubs,[…], and all these articles[…]made a scattered and untidy decoration that Mrs. Clough assiduously dusted and greatly cherished.

1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.

2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, pages 72–3:

This manuscript is from the 1980s.

The working day runs from 9 am to 5 pm.

Tickets are available from 17th July.

Used to indicate a starting point or initial reference.

Rate your pain from 1 to 10.

Start counting from 1.

Indicating a starting point on a range or scale.

You can study anything from math to literature.

Indicating a starting point on an array or gamut of conceptual variations.

It's hard to tell from here.

Try to see it from his point of view.

The bomb went off just 100 yards from where they were standing.

From the top of the lighthouse you can just see the mainland.

With reference to the location or position of a speaker or other observer or vantage point.

I’ve been doing this from pickney.

I’ve been a bad boy from a little youth.

2021 August 17, TStackz & Kapz (lyrics and music), “BGB”, 1:01–1:03:

(MLE) Indicates a starting state of the predicament of the subject. Synonym of since being

He had books piled from floor to ceiling.

He departed yesterday from Chicago.

This figure has been changed from a one to a seven.

Face away from the wall!

The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

After twenty minutes, remove the cake from the oven.

The general was ousted from power.

20 from 31 leaves 11.

(mathematics, chiefly British, not in formal use) Denoting a subtraction operation.

Indicating removal or separation.
Denoting a subtraction operation.

She was barred from entering.

A parasol protects from the sun.

Your opinions differ from mine.

He knows right from wrong.

In plants, the ability to recognize self from nonself plays an important role in fertilization, because self-fertilization will result in less diverse offspring than fertilization with pollen from another individual.

2013 May-June, Katrina G. Claw, “Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3:

It's made from pure gold.

Produced with or out of (a substance or material).

Too many people die from breast cancer.

Used to indicate causation; because of, as a result of.


from

Bang i wantem mi faen from mi ovaspen.

2008, Miriam Meyerhoff, Social lives in language--sociolinguistics and multilingual speech, →ISBN, page 344:


from

English: from

→ Scots: from, frome

Yola: vrem, vrim, vreem, vream, vrom

From Old English from, fram and Old Norse frá, both from Proto-Germanic *fram.

And specially from every shires ende / Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,

c. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue, lines 15–16:

And specially from every shire's end / Of England they to Canterbury went,


us

From Middle High German ūz, from Proto-Germanic *ūt.

He steiht ferm wie en Zeller us dem Hamm.

1936, Inscription on the Schwarze Katz well in Zell:

He stands firm as a Zell man from the Hamm [i.e. the Moselle bow around Zell with its steeply sloped vineyards].

(Ripuarian, parts of Moselle Franconian) out of, from


vers

Borrowed from Latin versus (“toward, facing”).

bor+

(literary) towards (in the direction of)

(literary) towards (located approximately next to)


vers

From Latin versus (past participle of vertere). Cognate to Italian verso (preposition). Doublet of versus.

Elle a traduit les paroles de sa chanson préférée du français vers l’anglais.

She translated the lyrics of her favorite song from French to English.

Pouvez-vous nous attendre jusque vers midi ?


vers

Borrowed from French vers, Italian verso. Decision no. 718, Progreso V.

io-bor

(physical sense) toward, towards, in the direction of


vers

Middle French: vers

French: vers

Latin versus (“turned, changed, having been turned”).