gain-
English edit
Alternative forms edit
- gane- (Scotland)
Etymology edit
From Middle English gain- (prefix), from Old English geġn-, gēan- (“back, against, in return”, prefix), from Proto-West Germanic *gagin, from Proto-Germanic *gagin (“towards, against”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian juun- (“counter-”), West Frisian tsjin- (“counter-”), Dutch tegen- (“counter-”), German gegen- (“against, toward, at”), Icelandic gagn- (“through”). More at again.
Prefix edit
gain-
- Prefix meaning "against", "contrary to", "in opposition to", "counter-".
- Prefix denoting reciprocal action; "in return"; "counter-".
- Prefix denoting restoration or a return to a previous state; "back again".
- Prefix denoting repetition; "over again"; "anew"; again-.