an

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Contents

English [edit]

Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia

Pronunciation [edit]

  • (stressed)
  • (unstressed)
    • IPA: /ən/, X-SAMPA: /@n/
    • (file)
  • Homophone: in (in some accents)

Etymology 1 [edit]

From Old English ān.

Article [edit]

an

  1. Form, used before a vowel sound, of a
  2. (UK, nonstandard) Form of a used in many British regional accents before words beginning with h
Usage notes [edit]
  • The article an is used before vowel sounds, and a before consonant sounds.
  • The various article senses of a, all are senses of an.
Translations [edit]

Etymology 2 [edit]

From Middle English an

Conjunction [edit]

an

  1. (archaic) If, so long as.
    An it please you, my lord.
  2. (archaic) as if; as though.
    Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere (Original Version of 1797) 61-64:
    At length did cross an Albatross, Thorough the Fog it came; And an it were a Christian Soul, We hail'd it in God's Name.
Translations [edit]

Etymology 3 [edit]

From Georgian.

Noun [edit]

an (plural ans)

  1. The first letter of the Georgian alphabet, (mkhedruli), (asomtavruli) or (nuskhuri).

Etymology 4 [edit]

From the Old English preposition an/on.

Preposition [edit]

an

  1. In each; to or for each; per.
    I was only going twenty miles an hour.
Usage notes [edit]
  • This is the same as the word a in such contexts, modified because of preceding an unpronounced h. The train was speeding along at a mile a minute.
Synonyms [edit]
Translations [edit]

References [edit]

Statistics [edit]

Anagrams [edit]


Arin [edit]

Noun [edit]

an

  1. haunch

Aromanian [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Latin annus. Compare Daco-Romanian an.

Noun [edit]

an n (plural anji)

  1. year

Breton [edit]

Article [edit]

an

  1. the

See also [edit]


Crimean Tatar [edit]

Noun [edit]

an

  1. moment

Declension [edit]

References [edit]

  • Useinov & Mireev Dictionary, Simferopol, Dolya, 2002 [1]

Danish [edit]

Verb [edit]

an

  1. imperative of ane

Elfdalian [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Old Norse hann. Cognate with Swedish han.

Pronoun [edit]

an m

  1. he

French [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

an m (plural ans)

  1. A year.

Synonyms [edit]

Anagrams [edit]


German [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Old High German ana.

Pronunciation [edit]

Preposition [edit]

an (with an accusative or dative case object)

  1. (with a location in the dative case) on; upon; at; in; against
    Das Bild hängt an der Wand. — “The picture hangs on the wall.”
  2. (with a time in the dative case) on; in
  3. (with a dative case object) by; near; close to; next to
  4. (with a dative case object) by means of; by
  5. (with an accusative case object) on; onto
    Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand. — “I hang the picture on the wall.”
  6. (with an accusative case object) at; against
    Schauen Sie an die Tafel. — “Look at the blackboard.”
  7. (with an accusative case object) to; for

Usage notes [edit]

  • The preposition an is used with an object in the accusative case if it indicates movement from one place to another, whereas it is used with the dative case if it indicates a location.
  • When followed by the masculine article in the dative case (i.e. dem (the)), the two words contract to am (on the) and for the neuter article in the accusative case (i.e. das (the)), the two words contract to ans (on the).

Adverb [edit]

an

  1. onward; on
    von heute an — “from today on”

Gothic [edit]

Romanization [edit]

an

  1. See 𐌰𐌽

Guernésiais [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Latin annus.

Noun [edit]

an m (plural ans)

  1. year

Haitian Creole [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

French un.

Article [edit]

an

  1. the (definite article)
Usage notes [edit]

Use this word when:

  • It modifies a singular noun, and
  • It is preceded by a word that ends with either:

See also [edit]

Etymology 2 [edit]

From French an (year)

Noun [edit]

an

  1. year
Synonyms [edit]

Irish [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Old Irish in.

Pronunciation [edit]

  • IPA: [ənˠ]; between consonants [ə]

Article [edit]

an

  1. the
    an t-uisce — the water
    an bhean — the woman
    an pháiste — of the child
    ag an gcailín/ag an chailín — at the girl

Declension [edit]

Case Masculine singular Feminine singular Plural
Nominative/accusative anT anL naH
Genitive anL naH naN
Dative (ag) anDM (ag) anDF naH
DF: triggers eclipsis or lenition depending on dialect; no lenition of d, t; changes s to ts (pronounced like t)
DM: triggers eclipsis or lenition depending on dialect; no lenition of d, t, s
H: triggers h-prothesis
L: triggers lenition except of d, t; changes s to ts (pronounced like t)
N: triggers eclipsis
T: triggers t-prothesis of a vowel

Particle [edit]

an (interrogative) (triggers eclipsis; takes the dependent form of irregular verbs if available; not used in the past tense except of some irregular verbs)

  1. Used to form direct and indirect questions
    An bhfuil tú ag éisteacht? — Are you listening?
    Níl a fhios agam an bhfuil sé anseo. — I don't know if/whether he is here.

Related terms [edit]

  • ar (used in the past tense of regular and some irregular verbs)

Particle [edit]

an

  1. used to introduce copular questions, both direct and indirect, in the present/future tense
    An maith leat bainne?
    Do you like milk?
    Níl a fhios agam an é Conchúr a chonaic mé.
    I don't know if it's Connor whom I saw.

Related terms [edit]


Japanese [edit]

Romanization [edit]

an

  1. See あん

Jèrriais [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Latin annus.

Noun [edit]

an m (plural ans)

  1. year

Synonyms [edit]

Derived terms [edit]


Kurdish [edit]

Conjunction [edit]

an

  1. or

Synonyms [edit]

  • yan (after a vowel-ending word)

Latin [edit]

Etymology [edit]

The etymology of an is very obscure.

Conjunction [edit]

an (interrogative)

  1. (introduces questions expecting negative answer or further question) can it be that
    An refert, ubi et in qua arrigas?
    Does it make any difference to me who made you horny, or when?
  2. whether
  3. or, either
    Vide utrum vis an...
    Consider whether you want to or...

Usage notes [edit]

  • Used with utrum (whether) in the construction utrum...an (whether...or):
    Nescio quid intersit, utrum nunc veniam, an ad decem annos.
    I know not what matter it is, whether I come now or after ten years.

Derived terms [edit]


Luxembourgish [edit]

Conjunction [edit]

an

  1. and

Preposition [edit]

an

  1. in

Mandarin [edit]

Romanization [edit]

an

  1. Nonstandard spelling of ān.
  2. Nonstandard spelling of án.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of ǎn.
  4. Nonstandard spelling of àn.

Usage notes [edit]

  • English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

Middle Dutch [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

Preposition [edit]

an

  1. Alternative form of ane. (sense "on")

Middle English [edit]

Preposition [edit]

an

  1. in

Conjunction [edit]

an

  1. and

Middle French [edit]

Etymology [edit]

Old French an < Latin annus.

Noun [edit]

an m (plural ans)

  1. year

Occitan [edit]

Etymology [edit]

Old Provençal an < Latin annus.

Noun [edit]

an m (plural ans)

  1. year

Usage notes [edit]

  • Also used with the verb aver (to have) to indicate age

Old English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Proto-Germanic *ainaz, from Proto-Indo-European *óynos. Germanic cognates include Old Frisian ān, Old Saxon ēn, Dutch een, Old High German ein (German ein), Old Norse einn (Swedish en), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (ains). The Indo-European root is also the source of Latin unus, Ancient Greek οἶος (oios), Old Irish oen.

Pronunciation [edit]

Cardinal number [edit]

ān

  1. (cardinal) one

Usage notes [edit]

As in modern English, usage doubles as both a numeral and a pronoun.

Article [edit]

ān

  1. a, an (indefinite article)

Adjective [edit]

ān

  1. lone
  2. sole

Derived terms [edit]

Descendants [edit]


Old Irish [edit]

Pronoun [edit]

an (triggers eclipsis, takes a leniting relative clause)

  1. Alternative form of a.
    • circa 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, Ml. 112b13
      Is demniu liunn a n-ad·chiam hua sulib ol·daas an ro·chluinemmar hua chluasaib.
      What we see with the eyes is more certain for us than what we hear with the ears.

Old Provençal [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Latin annus (year).

Noun [edit]

an m (oblique plural ans, nominative singular ans, nominative plural an)

  1. year

Old Saxon [edit]

Preposition [edit]

an

  1. on, in

Romanian [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Latin annus (year).

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

an m (plural ani)

  1. year

Declension [edit]

Derived terms [edit]


Romansch [edit]

Alternative forms [edit]

  • (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Surmiran) onn
  • (Sutsilvan, Vallader) on

Etymology [edit]

From Latin annus.

Noun [edit]

an m (plural ans)

  1. (Puter) year

Scots [edit]

Conjunction [edit]

an

  1. and

Scottish Gaelic [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

  • IPA: /an/, /ən/

Etymology 1 [edit]

From Old Irish a.

Pronoun [edit]

an

  1. their
Usage notes [edit]
  • This form of possessive pronoun is not used before nouns beginning with b, f, m or p, where am is used instead.

Etymology 2 [edit]

From Old Irish i.

Preposition [edit]

an

  1. in
Usage notes [edit]
  • This form is not used before nouns beginning with b, f, m or p, where ann am is used instead.
Synonyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
  • The following prepositional pronouns:
Combining

pronoun

Prepositional

pronoun

Prepositional

pronoun (emphatic)

mi annam annamsa
tu annad annadsa
e ann annsan
i innte inntese
sinn annainn annainne
sibh annaibh annaibhse
iad annta anntasan

Etymology 3 [edit]

From Old Irish in.

Article [edit]

an

  1. the
Usage notes [edit]

This is the most common singular form. The most common plural form is na. For other forms and their specific uses, see pages listed in "See also" below.

See also [edit]

Swedish [edit]

Adverb [edit]

an

  1. used as a verb particle, similar to German preposition an (at, in, on, to)

Related terms [edit]

Preposition [edit]

an

  1. (accounting) to

Torres Strait Creole [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From English hand.

Noun [edit]

an

  1. hand, lower arm
  2. flipper

Turkish [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Arabic آن (ʾān).

Noun [edit]

an (definite accusative anı, plural anlar)

  1. moment

Declension [edit]


Vietnamese [edit]

Etymology [edit]

Sino-Vietnamese, from ("tranquil")

Adjective [edit]

an

  1. safe, secure

Synonyms [edit]


Vilamovian [edit]

Conjunction [edit]

an

  1. and

Related terms [edit]