an

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "an"

Contents

English[edit]

Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (stressed)
  • (unstressed)
    • IPA(key): /ən/
    • Audio (US), unstressed in the phrase "an egg"
      		(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
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 2, The Celebrity:
      Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.
  2. (UK, nonstandard) Form of a used in many British regional accents before some words beginning with a pronounced h
Usage notes[edit]
Main appendix: English articles#Indefinite articles
  • The article an is used before vowel sounds and (optionally) before silent aitches, and a before consonant sounds.
  • The various article senses of a, all are senses of an.
Translations[edit]
indefinite article

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]

Borrowing from Georgian.

Noun[edit]

an (plural ans)

  1. The first letter of the Georgian alphabet, ა (Mkhedruli), Ⴀ (Asomtavruli) or ⴀ (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]

Albanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Possibly a metaphorical use of anë (“vessel”).

Noun[edit]

an m

  1. uterus
Synonyms[edit]
Related terms[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]

Alternative forms[edit]

Article[edit]

an

  1. the

Cimbrian[edit]

Article[edit]

an

  1. a (indefinite article)

Conjunction[edit]

an

  1. that (introduces a subordinate clause)

References[edit]

  • “an” in Umberto Martello Martalar, Alfonso Bellotto, Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Setti Communi vicentini, 1st edition, 1974.

Crimean Tatar[edit]

Noun[edit]

an

  1. moment

Declension[edit]

Declension of an
nominative an
genitive anniñ
dative ange
accusative anni
locative ande
ablative anden

References[edit]

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]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin annus.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

an m (plural ans)

  1. A year

Synonyms[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

External links[edit]

Friulian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin annus.

Noun[edit]

an m (plural agns)

  1. year

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/neuter definite article in the dative case (i.e. dem (“the”)), the two words contract to am (“on the”).
  • When followed by the neuter definite 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

Anagrams[edit]

Gothic[edit]

Romanization[edit]

an

  1. Romanization of 𐌰𐌽

Haitian Creole[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From 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]

Ido[edit]

Preposition[edit]

an

  1. at, on (indicates contiguity, juxtaposition)

Derived terms[edit]

Irish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Irish in.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (article): IPA(key): [ənˠ]; between consonants [ə]
  • (preverbal particle): IPA(key): [ə]
  • (copular particle): IPA(key): [ənˠ]; before é, ea, í, iad [ə.n̠ʲ-]

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 (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]

Irish copular forms
Simple copular forms
Present/future
Affirmative Negative Interrogative Neg. inter.
Main clauses is ní an nach
Direct relative clauses nach
Indirect relative clauses ar, arbv
Other subordinate clauses gur, gurbv an nach
Past/conditional
Affirmative Negative Interrogative Neg. inter.
Main clauses ba, b’v níor, níorbhv ar, arbhv nár, nárbhv
Direct relative clauses ba, abv nár, nárbhv
Indirect relative clauses ar, arbhv
Other subordinate clauses gur, gurbhv ar, arbhv nár, nárbhv
Present subjunctive
Affirmative Negative
gura, gurabv nára, nárabv
    Compound copular forms
Base word Present/future Past/conditional
má más má ba, má b’v
ó (“since”) ós ó ba, ó b’v
dá dá mba, dá mb’v
mura mura, murabv murar, murarbhv
cé cér, cérbv cér, cérbhv
cá cár, cárbv cár, cárbhv
de/do dar, darbv dar, darbhv
faoi faoinar, faoinarbv faoinar, faoinarbhv
i inar, inarbv inar, inarbhv
le lenar, lenarbv lenar, lenarbhv
ó (“from”) ónar, ónarbv ónar, ónarbhv
trí trínar, trínarbv trínar, trínarbhv
Note: Forms marked v are used before a vowel sound.

Japanese[edit]

Romanization[edit]

an

  1. rōmaji reading of あん

Kurdish[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

an

  1. or

Synonyms[edit]

  • yan (after a vowel-ending word)

Ladin[edit]

Noun[edit]

an m (plural ani)

  1. year

Latin[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Italic *an, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en. Cognate with Lithuanian angu (“or”), Gothic 𐌰𐌽 (an, “so? now?”). May also be related to Ancient Greek ἄν (án, particle), Sanskrit [script needed] (anā́), Avestan [script needed] (anā), Lithuanian anàs, Proto-Slavic *onъ.[1]

Pronunciation[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

an

  1. or, or whether (A conjunction that introduces the second part of a disjunctive interrogation, or a phrase implying doubt.)
    1. in disjunctive interrogations
      1. direct
        1. (introduced by utrum, “whether”)
        2. (introduced by -ne, interrogative enclitic)
        3. (introduced by nonne, “[is it] not”)
        4. (introduced by num, interrogative particle)
        5. (without an introductory particle)
      2. indirect
        1. (introduced by utrum (“whether”))
        2. (introduced by -ne, interrogative enclitic)
        3. (introduced by an)
        4. (without an introductory particle)
      3. or rather, or on the contrary (where the opinion of the speaker or the probability inclines to the second interrogative clause, and this is made emphatic, as a corrective of the former)
        1. hence, in the comic poets, as an potius
      4. or, or rather, or indeed, or perhaps (where, as is frequent, the first part of the interrogation is not expressed, but is to be supplied from the context, an begins the interrogation, but it does not begin an absolute – i.e., non-disjunctive – interrogation)
      5. (in the phrase an nōn) or not
        1. in direct questions
        2. in indirect questions
      6. (in the phrase an ne) pleonastic usage for an
        1. in direct questions
        2. in indirect questions
    2. (in disjunctive clauses that express doubt) or
      1.  ?
      2. denoting uncertainty by itself, without a verb of doubting
      3. (chiefly in and after the Augustean period) standing for sīve
      4. where the first disjunctive clause is to be supplied from the general idea or where an stands for utrum or necne
      5. Since in such distributive sentences expressive of doubt, the opinion of the speaker or the probability usually inclines to the second, i.e. to the clause beginning with an, the expressions haud sciō an, nesciō an, and dubitō an incline to an affirmative signification, “I almost know”, “I am inclined to think”, “I almost think”, “I might say”, “I might assert that”, etc., for “perhaps”, “probably”.
      6. Sometimes the distributive clause beginning with an designates directly the opposite, the more improbable, the negative; in which case nesciō an, haud sciō an, etc., like the English I know not whether, signify “I think that not”, “I believe that not”, etc.

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]

References[edit]

  • ăn in Charlton T. Lewis & Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1879
  1. ^ Michiel de Vaan (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden, Boston: Brill Academic Publishers

Low German[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Preposition[edit]

an

  1. on
  2. to, at

Inflection[edit]

Pronominal adverbs of an
preposition an
postpositional adv. an
+ her (hither) ran
+ düt (this) hieran
+ dat (that) doran
+ wat (what) woran
+ wat (something) enerwegens an
+ nix (nothing) nargens an
+ allens (everything) överall an

Adverb[edit]

an

  1. on

See also[edit]

Luxembourgish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *andi.

Conjunction[edit]

an

  1. and

Etymology 2[edit]

From Proto-Germanic *in.

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

Middle Welsh[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Determiner[edit]

an

  1. alternative form of yn

Mirandese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin in.

Preposition[edit]

an

  1. in
  2. on

Norman[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin annus.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • Audio (Jersey)
    		(file)

Noun[edit]

an m (plural ans)

  1. (Guernsey, Jersey) year

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Novial[edit]

Preposition[edit]

an

  1. at, on, next to or contiguous with something

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 (oîos), 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 French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Latin annus.

Noun[edit]

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

  1. year

Old Irish[edit]

Pronoun[edit]

an (triggers eclipsis, takes a leniting relative clause)

  1. alternative form of a
    • c. 875, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, 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]

declension of an
singular plural
gender m indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative un an anul niște ani anii
genitive/dative unui an anului unor ani anilor

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]

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:
Person Number Prepositional pronoun Prepositional pronoun (emphatic)
Singular 1st annam annamsa
2nd annad annadsa
3rd m ann annsan
3rd f innte inntese
Plural 1st annainn annainne
2nd annaibh annaibhse
3rd 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]

declension of an
singular (tekil) plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın) an anlar
definite accusative (belirtme) anı anları
dative (yönelme) ana anlara
locative (bulunma) anda anlarda
ablative (çıkma) andan anlardan
genitive (tamlayan) anın anların
possessive forms of an
benim (my) singular (tekil) plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın) anım anlarım
definite accusative (belirtme) anımı anlarımı
dative (yönelme) anıma anlarıma
locative (bulunma) anımda anlarımda
ablative (çıkma) anımdan anlarımdan
genitive (tamlayan) anımın anlarımın
senin (your) singular (tekil) plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın) anın anların
definite accusative (belirtme) anını anlarını
dative (yönelme) anına anlarına
locative (bulunma) anında anlarında
ablative (çıkma) anından anlarından
genitive (tamlayan) anının anlarının
onun (her/his/its) singular (tekil) plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın) anı anları
definite accusative (belirtme) anını anlarını
dative (yönelme) anına anlarına
locative (bulunma) anında anlarında
ablative (çıkma) anından anlarından
genitive (tamlayan) anının anlarının
bizim (our) singular (tekil) plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın) anımız anlarımız
definite accusative (belirtme) anımızı anlarımızı
dative (yönelme) anımıza anlarımıza
locative (bulunma) anımızda anlarımızda
ablative (çıkma) anımızdan anlarımızdan
genitive (tamlayan) anımızın anlarımızın
sizin (your) singular (tekil) plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın) anınız anlarınız
definite accusative (belirtme) anınızı anlarınızı
dative (yönelme) anınıza anlarınıza
locative (bulunma) anınızda anlarınızda
ablative (çıkma) anınızdan anlarınızdan
genitive (tamlayan) anınızın anlarınızın
onların (their) singular (tekil) plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın) anları anları
definite accusative (belirtme) anlarını anlarını
dative (yönelme) anlarına anlarına
locative (bulunma) anlarında anlarında
ablative (çıkma) anlarından anlarından
genitive (tamlayan) anlarının anlarının

Vietnamese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Sino-Vietnamese, from 安 (“tranquil”)

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

an

  1. safe, secure

Synonyms[edit]

Vilamovian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

an

  1. and

Related terms[edit]

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