on-

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English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English on-, from Old English on-, an-, from Proto-West Germanic *ana-, from Proto-Germanic *an-, *ana- (on-), from Proto-Indo-European *ano-, *nō- (on). Cognate with Dutch aan-, German an-, Swedish an-. Doublet of ana-.

Prefix[edit]

on-

  1. on, at, toward, upon.
    oncome, onset, onfall, onlay

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (file)

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle Dutch on-, from Old Dutch un-, from Proto-West Germanic *un-, from Proto-Germanic *un-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.

Prefix[edit]

on-

  1. un-, in- (expresses negation)
  2. bad, grave, horrifying
    on- + ‎mens (human being) → ‎onmens (brute, barbarian)
    on- + ‎dier (animal) → ‎ondier (monster)
    on- + ‎ding (thing) → ‎onding (something unacceptable, absurd)
    on- + ‎kruid (herb) → ‎onkruid (weed)
    on- + ‎weer (weather) → ‎onweer (storm, severe weather)
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
  • Afrikaans: on-
  • Petjo: on

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle Dutch on, from Old Dutch *āna, from Proto-Germanic *ēnu (without), from Proto-Indo-European *anew, *enew (without).

Prefix[edit]

on-

  1. on, without
Derived terms[edit]

Luxembourgish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Prefix[edit]

on-

  1. un-, in-

Derived terms[edit]

Middle Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Dutch un-, from Proto-Germanic *un-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.

Prefix[edit]

on-

  1. un-, in-

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Old English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Proto-West Germanic *an-, from Proto-Germanic *an, *ana (on).

Alternative forms[edit]

Prefix[edit]

on-

  1. forming verbs and adjectives from participles and nouns, with various senses of on, upon, to, there, thither
    onhlinianto lean on
    ondōnto don, put on clothes
  2. (inchoative) in, into; prefix used to intensify an action or to denote origin or initiation
    onlīehtanto enlighten
    onstellan, onstiellanto establish, institute, install, originate
Usage notes[edit]
  • This is a verbal prefix, and is always unstressed.
Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From unstressed form of and- (and-).

Prefix[edit]

on-

  1. denoting reverse action
    onbindanto untie, unbind
    onfealdanto unfold
  2. off, away
    onberanto carry off
Usage notes[edit]
  • This is a verbal prefix, and is always unstressed.
Derived terms[edit]

Ye'kwana[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Prefix[edit]

on-

  1. allomorph of ön- (negative/sociative irrealis prefix) used for stems that have a first vowel o or u.