an
See also: Appendix:Variations of "an"
Contents
EnglishEdit
PronunciationEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Old English ān.
ArticleEdit
an
- Form of a used before a vowel sound
- 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 2, in 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.
- (now quite rare) Form of a used before /h/ in an unstressed syllable
- (nonstandard) Form of a used before /h/ in a stressed syllable
Usage notesEdit
Main appendix: English articles#Indefinite articles
- In standard English, the article an is used before vowel sounds, while a is used before consonant sounds. Alternatively, an can be found before an unstressed syllable beginning with an h-sound, as in an historic. The h may then become silent or is at least very weakly articulated. This usage is favoured by only 6% of British speakers, and is only slightly more common in writing.[1]
- In the other direction, a can rarely be found before a vowel in nonstandard (often dialectal) speech and written representations thereof, as in "ain't this a innerestin sitchation" (Moira Young, Blood Red Road).
- The various article senses of a are all senses of an.
TranslationsEdit
indefinite article
|
|
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage (2015, →ISBN, page 2: "Before words beginning with h [...] the standard modern approach is to use a (never an) together with an aspirated h [...], but not to demur if others use an with minimal or nil aspiration given to the following h (an historic /әn (h)ɪsˈtɒrɪk/, an horrific /әn (h)ɒˈrɪfɪk/, etc.)." Fowler's goes on to source the 6% figure to Wells (third edition, 2008).
Etymology 2Edit
From Middle English an.
ConjunctionEdit
an
- (archaic) If
- 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act I Scene 2:
- […] An the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall make shift to go without him.
- 1886-88, Richard F. Burton, The Supplemental Nights to the Thousand Nights and a Night:
- Thereupon, quoth he, "O woman, for sundry days I have seen thee attend the levée sans a word said; so tell me an thou have any requirement I may grant."
- 1596-97, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act I Scene 2:
- (archaic) So long as.
- An it harm none, do what ye will.
- (archaic) As if; as though.
- 1797, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere (original version), 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.
- 1797, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere (original version), 61-64:
TranslationsEdit
if; so long as
Etymology 3Edit
Borrowed from Georgian ან (an).
NounEdit
an (plural ans)
Etymology 4Edit
From the Old English an, on (preposition).
PrepositionEdit
an
- In each; to or for each; per.
- I was only going twenty miles an hour.
Usage notesEdit
- 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.
SynonymsEdit
TranslationsEdit
in each; to or for each; per
ReferencesEdit
- an in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
AnagramsEdit
AlbanianEdit
EtymologyEdit
Possibly a metaphorical use of anë (“vessel”).
NounEdit
an m (definite singular ani)
- (anatomy) womb, caul
- Synonym: mitër
- (anatomy) joint
- (dialectal) room, vessel
- (dialectal, Italy) ship
Related termsEdit
ArinEdit
AromanianEdit
BourguignonEdit
Etymology 1Edit
NounEdit
an m (plural ans)
Derived termsEdit
Etymology 2Edit
PrepositionEdit
an
SynonymsEdit
Etymology 3Edit
PronounEdit
an
- used to indicate an indefinite quantity, of it, of them
- J'an veus deus
- I want two of them
- J'an seus seur
- I am sure of it
- J'an veus deus
BretonEdit
ChuukeseEdit
DeterminerEdit
an
Related termsEdit
Chuukese possessive determiners
| Small objects, concepts | Large objects, living things | Suffix | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | First person | ai | nei | -ei |
| Second person | omw, om | noum | -om | |
| Third person | an | noun | -an | |
| Plural | First person | äm (exclusive) ach (inclusive) |
nöu̇m (exclusive) nöüch (inclusive) |
-em (exclusive) -ach (inclusive) |
| Second person | ämi, ami | noumi | -emi | |
| Third person | ar | nour | -er |
NounEdit
an
CimbrianEdit
ArticleEdit
an
- a (indefinite article)
ConjunctionEdit
an
- that (introduces a subordinate clause)
ReferencesEdit
- “an” in Umberto Martello Martalar, Alfonso Bellotto, Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Setti Communi vicentini, 1st edition, 1974.
CornishEdit
Crimean TatarEdit
NounEdit
an
DeclensionEdit
Declension of an
| nominative | an |
|---|---|
| genitive | anniñ |
| dative | ange |
| accusative | anni |
| locative | ande |
| ablative | anden |
ReferencesEdit
- Mirjejev, V. A.; Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary][1], Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN
DanishEdit
ElfdalianEdit
EmilianEdit
FrenchEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Old French, from Latin annus, from Proto-Italic *atnos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂et-no-, probably from *h₂et- (“to go”).
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
an m (plural ans)
- A year
SynonymsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “an” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
AnagramsEdit
FriulianEdit
FuyugEdit
GermanEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Old High German ana.
PronunciationEdit
PrepositionEdit
an (+ dative)
- (local) on; upon; at; in; against
- Das Bild hängt an der Wand. ― The picture hangs on the wall.
- by; near; close to; next to
- (temporal) on; in; at
- Am Dienstag. ― On Tuesday.
an (+ accusative)
- on; onto
- Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand. ― I hang the picture on the wall.
- at; against
- Schauen Sie an die Tafel. ― Look at the blackboard.
- to; for
- Ein Brief an Anna. ― A letter for Anna.
Usage notesEdit
- Usually used to refer to something being on a vertical surface, as opposed to auf, which usually points to a horizontal surface.
- When followed by the masculine/neuter definite article in the dative case (i.e. dem (“the”)), the two words can contract to am (“on the”).
- When followed by the neuter definite article in the accusative case (i.e. das (“the”)), the two words can contract to ans (“on the”).
AdverbEdit
an
Derived termsEdit
AnagramsEdit
GirawaEdit
GothicEdit
Haitian CreoleEdit
Etymology 1Edit
ArticleEdit
an
Usage notesEdit
Use this word when:
- It modifies a singular noun, and
- It is preceded by a word that ends with either:
See alsoEdit
Etymology 2Edit
NounEdit
an
SynonymsEdit
IdoEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from English on, German an. Decision no. 759, Progreso V.
PronunciationEdit
PrepositionEdit
an
- at, on (indicates contiguity, juxtaposition)
- Me pendis pikturi an la parieto. ― I hung paintings on the wall.
Derived termsEdit
- dorso an dorso (“back to back”)
- an-
ReferencesEdit
IrishEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Old Irish in, from Proto-Celtic *sindos.
PronunciationEdit
- IPA(key): /ənˠ/, (between consonants) /ə/, (before a/á, o/ó, u/ú) /ə.nˠ-/, (before e/é, i/í) /ə.n̠ʲ-/
ArticleEdit
an
- the
- an t-uisce ― the water
- an bhean ― the woman
- an pháiste ― of the child
- ag an gcailín/chailín ― at the girl
DeclensionEdit
| Case | Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | anT | anL | naH |
| Genitive | anL | naH | naE |
| Dative | anD | anD | naH |
| D: Triggers lenition after de, do, and i (except of d, t; s lenites to ts; s always lenites with feminine nouns, even with prepositions that normally trigger eclipsis, but does not lenite at all with masculine nouns) and eclipsis otherwise (varies by dialect) E: Triggers eclipsis H: Triggers h-prothesis L: Triggers lenition (except of d, t; s lenites to ts) T: Triggers t-prothesis | |||
Etymology 2Edit
PronunciationEdit
- (preverbal particle): IPA(key): (before a consonant) /ə/, (before a/á, o/ó, u/ú) /ə.nˠ-/, (before e/é, i/í) /ə.n̠ʲ-/
- (copular particle): IPA(key): /ənˠ/, (before é, ea, í, iad) /ə.n̠ʲ-/
Particle 1Edit
an (triggers eclipsis; takes the dependent form of irregular verbs if available; not used in the past tense except of some irregular verbs)
- 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 termsEdit
- ar (used with the past tense of regular and some irregular verbs)
Particle 2Edit
an
- 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 termsEdit
Irish copular forms
Simple copular forms
|
Compound copular forms
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| v Used before vowel sounds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Etymology 3Edit
VerbEdit
an (present analytic anann, future analytic anfaidh, verbal noun anacht, past participle anta)
- (transitive, intransitive) Alternative form of fan (“stay, wait, remain”)
ConjugationEdit
* Indirect relative
† Archaic or dialect form
‡ Dependent form
‡‡ Dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis (except an)
Etymology 4Edit
ParticleEdit
an
- Alternative form of a (used before numbers when counting)
MutationEdit
| Irish mutation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Radical | Eclipsis | with h-prothesis | with t-prothesis |
| an | n-an | han | not applicable |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | |||
Further readingEdit
- "an" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
- “in” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
- Entries containing “an” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
- Entries containing “an” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.
JapaneseEdit
KurdishEdit
LadinEdit
LatinEdit
EtymologyEdit
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 अना (anā́), Avestan 𐬀𐬥𐬁 (anā), Lithuanian anàs, Proto-Slavic *onъ.[1]
PronunciationEdit
ConjunctionEdit
an
- or, or whether (A conjunction that introduces the second part of a disjunctive interrogation, or a phrase implying doubt.)
- in disjunctive interrogations
- direct
- indirect
- 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)
- hence, in the comic poets, as an potius
- 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)
- (in the phrase an nōn) or not
- in direct questions
- in indirect questions
- (in the phrase an ne) pleonastic usage for an
- in direct questions
- in indirect questions
- (in disjunctive clauses that express doubt) or
- ?
- denoting uncertainty by itself, without a verb of doubting
- (chiefly in and after the Augustean period) standing for sīve
- where the first disjunctive clause is to be supplied from the general idea or where an stands for utrum or necne
- 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”.
- 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.
- in disjunctive interrogations
Usage notesEdit
- 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.
- Nescio quid intersit, utrum nunc veniam, an ad decem annos.
Derived termsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ăn in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- an in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
- Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book[2], London: Macmillan and Co.
- to offer a person the alternative of... or..: optionem alicui dare, utrum...an
- it is a debated point whether... or..: in contentione ponitur, utrum...an
- it is a difficult point, disputed question: magna quaestio est (followed by an indirect question)
- to keep, celebrate a festival: diem festum agere (of an individual)
- to offer a person the alternative of... or..: optionem alicui dare, utrum...an
- ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill
LoniuEdit
NounEdit
an
ReferencesEdit
- Malcolm Ross, Andrew Pawley, Meredith Osmond, The Lexicon of Proto-Oceanic →ISBN, 2007)
- Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (as ʔan)
Low GermanEdit
PronunciationEdit
PrepositionEdit
an
InflectionEdit
Pronominal adverbs of an
Neither the spelling nor grammar of these forms applies to all, or even necessarily the majority, of dialects.
AdverbEdit
an
See alsoEdit
LuxembourgishEdit
PronunciationEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Old High German indi.
ConjunctionEdit
an
Etymology 2Edit
From Proto-Germanic *in.
PrepositionEdit
an
MandarinEdit
RomanizationEdit
an
- Nonstandard spelling of ān.
- Nonstandard spelling of án.
- Nonstandard spelling of ǎn.
- Nonstandard spelling of àn.
Usage notesEdit
- 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 DutchEdit
Middle EnglishEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Old English in.
PrepositionEdit
an
- Alternative form of in
Etymology 2Edit
From Old English and.
ConjunctionEdit
an
- Alternative form of and
Etymology 3Edit
From Old English an.
NumberEdit
an
- Alternative form of oon
Middle FrenchEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Old French an, from Latin annus.
NounEdit
an m (plural ans)
DescendantsEdit
- French: an
Middle WelshEdit
MirandeseEdit
NormanEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Old French an, from Latin annus.
PronunciationEdit
Audio (Jersey) (file)
NounEdit
an m (plural ans)
SynonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
- Jour dé l'An (“New Year's Day”)
- Nouvel An (“New Year”)
- tchu d'l'an (“last day of the year”)
NovialEdit
OccitanEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Old Occitan an, from Latin annus.
NounEdit
an m (plural ans)
Usage notesEdit
- Also used with the verb aver (“to have”) to indicate age
Etymology 2Edit
See the etymology of the main entry.
VerbEdit
an
- third-person plural present indicative of aver
Old EnglishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
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 ūnus, Ancient Greek οἶος (oîos), Old Irish oen.
PronunciationEdit
NumeralEdit
ān
DeclensionEdit
Declension of ān
Usage notesEdit
As in modern English, usage doubles as both a numeral and a pronoun.
ArticleEdit
ān
AdjectiveEdit
ān
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
Old FrenchEdit
EtymologyEdit
NounEdit
an m (oblique plural anz, nominative singular anz, nominative plural an)
Related termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
Old IrishEdit
PronounEdit
an (triggers eclipsis, takes a leniting relative clause)
- 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.
- Is demniu liunn a n-ad·chiam hua sulib ol·daas an ro·chluinemmar hua chluasaib.
- 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
Old OccitanEdit
EtymologyEdit
NounEdit
an m (oblique plural ans, nominative singular ans, nominative plural an)
DescendantsEdit
Old SaxonEdit
RomanianEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Latin annus (“year”), from Proto-Italic *atnos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂et-no-, probably from *h₂et- (“to go”).
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
an m (plural ani)
DeclensionEdit
declension of an
Derived termsEdit
RomanschEdit
ScotsEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Old English and, ond, end (“and”), from Proto-Germanic *andi, *anþi, *undi, *unþi (“and, furthermore”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti (“facing opposite, near, in front of, before”). Cognate with English and (“and”), North Frisian en (“and”), West Frisian en, in (“and”), Low German un (“and”), Dutch en (“and”), German und (“and”), Danish end (“but”), Swedish än (“yet, but”), Icelandic enn (“still, yet”), Albanian edhe (“and”) (dialectal ênde, ênne), ende (“still, yet, therefore”), Latin ante (“opposite, in front of”), and Ancient Greek ἀντί (antí, “opposite, facing”).
Alternative formsEdit
ConjunctionEdit
an
Derived termsEdit
Scottish GaelicEdit
PronunciationEdit
Etymology 1Edit
PronounEdit
an
Usage notesEdit
- This form of possessive pronoun is not used before nouns beginning with b, f, m or p, where am is used instead.
Etymology 2Edit
From Old Irish i, from Proto-Celtic *en.
PrepositionEdit
an
Usage notesEdit
- This form is not used before nouns beginning with b, f, m or p, where ann am is used instead.
SynonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
- The following prepositional pronouns (or ‘conjugated prepositions’):
| 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 3Edit
ArticleEdit
an
Usage notesEdit
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 alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- Faclair Gàidhlig Dwelly Air Loidhne, Dwelly, Edward (1911), Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary (10th ed.), Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
- “2 a” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
- “i” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
- “in” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
SirayaEdit
SwedishEdit
AdverbEdit
an
- used as a verb particle, similar to German preposition an (“at, in, on, to”)
Related termsEdit
PrepositionEdit
an
- (accounting) to
Torres Strait CreoleEdit
TurkishEdit
Etymology 1Edit
NounEdit
an (definite accusative anı, plural anlar)
DeclensionEdit
| Inflection | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | an | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Definite accusative | anı | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Singular | Plural | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nominative | an | anlar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Definite accusative | anı | anları | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dative | ana | anlara | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locative | anda | anlarda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ablative | andan | anlardan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genitive | anın | anların | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Etymology 2Edit
VerbEdit
an
VietnameseEdit
EtymologyEdit
Sino-Vietnamese word from 安 (“tranquil”).
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
an
Derived termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- "an" in Hồ Ngọc Đức, Free Vietnamese Dictionary Project (details)