an

See also: Appendix:Variations of "an"

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Page categories

Translingual

Symbol

an

(international standards) ISO 639-1 language code for Aragonese.

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

an

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

(stressed)
- IPA^(key): /ˈæn/
- Audio (UK): (file)
- Rhymes: -æn
- IPA^(key): [ˈɛən]
- Audio (US, æ-tensing): (file)
(unstressed)
- IPA^(key): /ən/
- Audio (US, unstressed form); “an egg”: (file)
Homophone: in (in some accents)

Etymology 1

From Middle English an, from Old English ān (“a, an”, literally “one”). More at one.

Article

an (indefinite)

Form of a (all article senses).
1. Used before a vowel sound.
  I'll be there in half an hour.
  
  'E's staying at an 'otel. (compare He's staying at a hotel.)
  - 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
    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.
  - 1971, Lyndon Johnson, “The Beginning”, in The Vantage Point‎^[2], Holt, Reinhart & Winston, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 12:
    I was catapulted without preparation into the most difficult job any mortal man can hold. My duties would not wait a week, or a day, or even an hour.
2. (now quite rare) Used before one and words with initial ⟨u⟩, ⟨eu⟩ when pronounced /ju/.
  - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 24:8:
    God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
  - (Can we date this quote?), John Mackay Wilson, Wilson's Tales of the Borders; Historical, Traditionary, and Imaginative‎^[3], →OCLC, page 84:
    My hopes, from my earliest years, have been hopes of celebrity as a writer- not of wealth, or of influence, or of accomplishing any of the thousand aims which furnish the great bulk of mankind with motives. You will laugh at me. There is something so emphatically shadowy and unreal in the object of this ambition, that even the full attainment of its provokes a smile. For who does not know
    'How vain that second life in others' breath,
    The estate which wits inherit after death!'
    And what can be more fraught with the ludicrous than an union of this shadowy ambition with mediocre parts and attainments! But I digress.
  - 2010 March 22, Paul Taylor, “Greece Debates Revive Old European Fears and Resentments”, in The New York Times‎^[4], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2010-04-03, Inside Europe:
    President Nicolas Sarkozy of France is open to an European monetary fund but would want it to raise money cheaply on capital markets and lend it to needy euro-zone countries before they faced possible default.
  - 2021 April 13, Neil Vigdor, “Hank Aaron’s Name Will Replace a Confederate General’s on an Atlanta School”, in The New York Times‎^[5], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on April 14, 2021, U.S.‎^[6]:
    In an unanimous vote on Monday, the city’s school board approved removing the name of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest from Forrest Hill Academy and calling the alternative school the Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy.
  - 2024 February 14, Lawrence O'Donnell, 0:29 from the start, in Lawrence: Jack Smith asks SCOTUS to move fast on Trump. Nixon case is proof they can.‎^[7], MSNBC, archived from the original on February 15, 2024:
    Having been given seven full days, Jack Smith took exactly one day to file a forty-page response in opposition, to the Supreme Court, making the argument that there was no reason for the Supreme Court to hear Donald Trump's appeal of an unanimous opinion by the second most important court in the country, the Washington, D.C. Federal Court of Appeals, which supported the trial judge's ruling that there is no such thing as immunity from criminal prosecution for former presidents.
  - For more quotations using this term, see Citations:an.
3. (nonstandard) Used before /h/ in a stressed or unstressed syllable.
  - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 40:1–2:
    1 I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined vnto me, and heard my crie.
    2 He brought me vp also out of an horrible pit, out of the mirie clay, and set my feete vpon a rock, and established my goings.
  - 1693, Robert Morden, “Of China”, in Geography Rectified; or a Description of the World‎^[8], 3rd edition, →OCLC, page 441:
    The Province of Nanking, by the Tartars called Kiangnan, is the ſecond in honour, in magnitude and fertility in all China : It is divided into 14 great Territories, having Cities and Towns an hundred and ten; Nanking, or Kiangning being the Metropolis; a City, that if ſhe did not exceed moſt Cities on the Earth in bigneſs and beauty, yet ſhe was inferior to few, for her Pagodes, her Temples, her Porcelane Towers, her Palaces and Triumphal Arches. Fungiang, Sucheu, Sunkiang, Leucheu, Hoaigan, Ganking, Ningue, Hoeicheu, are alſo eminent places, and of great Note and Trade.
  - 1953, Mao Tse-tung, “Mao Tse-tung's Tribute to Stalin”, in Current Soviet Policies‎^[9], New York: Frederick A. Praeger, →ISSN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 254:
    Following the doctrine of Lenin and Stalin, relying on the support of the great Soviet state and all the revolutionary forces of all countries, the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people gained an historic victory a few years ago.
  - 1972 May 28, 3:30 from the start, in President Nixon addresses the Soviet People live from the Kremlin‎^[10], spoken by Richard Nixon, archived from the original on 22 December 2015:
    We have agreed on joint ventures in space. We have agreed on ways of working together to protect the environment, to advance health, to cooperate in science and technology. We have agreed on means of preventing incidents at sea. We have established a commission to expand trade between our two nations. Most important, we have taken an historic first step in the limitation of nuclear strategic arms.
  - 2022 June 29, David Pakman, 0:00 from the start, in Trump Assaulted Secret Service Agent, Smeared Ketchup on Wall‎^[11], archived from the original on 30 June 2022:
    Well yesterday was an historic day. Uh, there was last minute testimony scheduled in the January 6th committee from a former aide to Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows.
4. (nonstandard, British, West Country) Used before all consonants.

Usage notes

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 /h/, 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]
Historically, an could also be found before one and before many words with initial ⟨u⟩, ⟨eu⟩ (now pronounced with initial /juː/, /jʊ/, /jə/), such as eunuch, unique, and utility. This is because those initial letters were pronounced as vowels. In writing, an remained usual before such words until the 19th century -- long after these words acquired initial consonant sounds in standard English. This is still occasionally seen.^[2]
In the other direction, a can occur before a vowel in nonstandard (often dialectal) speech and in its written representations. Example: "ain't this a innerestin sitchation" (Moira Young, Blood Red Road).
The various article senses of a are all senses of an.

Derived terms

another

Translations

See an/translations § Article.

Numeral

an

(nonstandard, British, West Country) one

References

^ 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).
^ “a, adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2008.

Etymology 2

From Middle English an (“and, if”). Doublet of and.

Conjunction

an

(archaic) If
- c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
  […] An the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall make shift to go without him.
- 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC:
  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."
(archaic) So long as.
An it harm none, do what ye will.
(archaic) As if; as though.
- 1797–1798 (date written), [Samuel Taylor Coleridge], “The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere”, in Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems, London: […] J[ohn] & A[rthur] Arch, […], published 1798, →OCLC:
  (original version), lines 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.

Derived terms

ifs and ans

Translations

if; so long as

Esperanto: se (eo)
Fijian: e dua na (fj)
Finnish: mikäli (fi)
German: so (de)
Italian: se (it)

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Georgian ან (an).

Noun

an (plural ans)

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

Etymology 4

From the Old English an, on (preposition).

Preposition

an

In each; to or for each; per.
I was only going twenty miles an hour.

Usage notes

This is the same as the word a in such contexts, modified because of preceding a vowel sound (after an unpronounced h). The train was speeding along at a mile a minute.

Synonyms

per

Translations

in each; to or for each; per

Danish: pr., om (da)
Finnish: (use the inessive case for the word after)
German: pro (de), den (de) m, das (de) n, die (de) f
Hungarian: per (hu), -ként (hu)
Italian: al (it), allo (it), alla (it), all'
Macedonian: по (po)
Portuguese: o (pt) m, a (pt) f, por (pt)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: по

Latin: po (sh)

References

“an”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

n.a., NA, -na, N/A, N.A., n/a, Na, na

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /an/

Preposition

an

(Western Cape) Alternative form of aan

Ainu

Etymology

Similar to Japanese ある (aru).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /an/

Verb

an (Kana spelling アン)

(intransitive, copulative) to exist, be (somewhere); there is
Aynu an ruwe ne.
There is an Ainu.

Albanian

Etymology

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

Noun

an m (definite ani)

Related terms

anë

Arin

Noun

an

haunch

Aromanian

Etymology

From Latin annus. Compare Romanian an.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [an]

Noun

an n (plural anj or enj)

year

Related terms

antsãrtsu / antserts

Asturian

Etymology

From a contraction of the preposition en (“in”) + preposition a (“to”).

Contraction

an

(optional) towards inside
Voi an ca Catuxa
I'm going inside Catuxa's house

Voi p'an ca Xepe
I'm going to Xepe's house

Azerbaijani

Etymology

From Arabic آن (ʔān).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɑn/
Audio (Baku): (file)

Noun

an (definite accusative anı, plural anlar)

moment

Declension

Declension of an
	singular	plural
nominative	an	anlar
definite accusative	anı	anları
dative	ana	anlara
locative	anda	anlarda
ablative	andan	anlardan
definite genitive	anın	anların

Possessive forms of an
	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	anım	anlarım
sənin (“your”)	anın	anların
onun (“his/her/its”)	anı	anları
bizim (“our”)	anımız	anlarımız
sizin (“your”)	anınız	anlarınız
onların (“their”)	anı or anları	anları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	anımı	anlarımı
sənin (“your”)	anını	anlarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	anını	anlarını
bizim (“our”)	anımızı	anlarımızı
sizin (“your”)	anınızı	anlarınızı
onların (“their”)	anını or anlarını	anlarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	anıma	anlarıma
sənin (“your”)	anına	anlarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	anına	anlarına
bizim (“our”)	anımıza	anlarımıza
sizin (“your”)	anınıza	anlarınıza
onların (“their”)	anına or anlarına	anlarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	anımda	anlarımda
sənin (“your”)	anında	anlarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	anında	anlarında
bizim (“our”)	anımızda	anlarımızda
sizin (“your”)	anınızda	anlarınızda
onların (“their”)	anında or anlarında	anlarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	anımdan	anlarımdan
sənin (“your”)	anından	anlarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	anından	anlarından
bizim (“our”)	anımızdan	anlarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	anınızdan	anlarınızdan
onların (“their”)	anından or anlarından	anlarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	anımın	anlarımın
sənin (“your”)	anının	anlarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	anının	anlarının
bizim (“our”)	anımızın	anlarımızın
sizin (“your”)	anınızın	anlarınızın
onların (“their”)	anının or anlarının	anlarının

Derived terms

Bambara

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [án]

Pronoun

an

we

Bikol Central

Alternative forms

ang

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ʔan/ [ʔan̪]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Central Philippine *aŋ. Cognate with Cebuano ang, Hiligaynon ang, Tagalog ang, Waray-Waray an.

Further etymology is debated; some have theorized a relationship to Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *a (“direct marker”), from Proto-Austronesian *a (“direct marker”) with the addition of an unclear nasal suffix. Compare Kapampangan ing.

Particle

an (Basahan spelling ᜀᜈ᜔)

direct marker for all general nouns other than personal proper nouns
Nagdalagan an lalaki pasiring sa baybayon.
The man ran towards the shore.

Kinakan kan ikos an sira. (Naga)

Kinaon kan ikos an sira. (Legazpi)
The cat ate the fish.

Usage notes

This particle is analyzed as the definite article (i.e., the) when used alone, and the indefinite article (i.e., a or an) when used with the numeral "saro".
An saldang. (Naga)

An aldaw. (Legazpi)
The sun.

An sarong tawo.
A person.
Specific nouns are marked with "si" or "su".
Direct personal proper nouns (primarily names) are marked with "si".

Etymology 2

Pronoun

'an (Basahan spelling ᜀᜈ᜔)

Clipping of iyan.

Bourguignon

Etymology 1

From Latin annus.

Noun

an m (plural ans)

year

Derived terms

annaie

Etymology 2

From Latin in.

Preposition

an

in

Synonyms

Etymology 3

From Latin inde.

Pronoun

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

Breton

Alternative forms

ar
al

Article

an

the

Chuukese

Determiner

an

third person singular possessive; his, hers, its (used with general-class objects)

Related terms

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

Noun

an

path, road

Cimbrian

Alternative forms

a (Luserna)

Etymology

From Middle High German ein, from Old High German ein, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz. Cognate with German ein, Dutch een, English one, Icelandic einn.

Article

an

(Sette Comuni) a, an
an gamègalndar mann ― a married man
(Luserna) oblique masculine of a
I hån an pruadar un a sbestar. ― I have a brother and a sister.

Declension

Cimbrian indefinite articles (Sette Comuni dialect)
	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	an	an	an
Accusative	an	an	an
Dative	aname	anara	aname

Derived terms

Conjunction

an

(Sette Comuni) that (introduces a subordinate clause)
Khömme an dar sbaighe.
Tell him that he needs to shut up.

References

“an” in Martalar, Umberto Martello, Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo
Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Cornish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *sindos.

Article

an

the (definite article)

Crimean Tatar

Etymology

Ultimately from Arabic آن (ʔān).

Noun

an

moment

Declension

Declension of an

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

References

Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk‎^[12], Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech an. By surface analysis, univerbation of a +‎ on.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈan]

Pronoun

an

(relative, archaic) which, who, as
Synonyms: který, jenž, jak, když

Bělá se tam, bělá žena, ana malé dítě nese. ― A white form can be seen there, a white woman who is carrying a child.

Vidíš-li poutníka, an dlouhou lučinou spěchá ku cíli, než červánky pohynou? ― Do you see a traveller hastening ere the twilight passes away across the long meadows towards a destination?

Declension

Declension of an

singular
	masculine animate	masculine inanimate	feminine	neuter
nominative	an	an	ana	ano
genitive	—	—	—	—
dative	—	—	—	—
accusative	—	—	—	—
locative	—	—	—	—
instrumental	—	—	—	—
plural
	masculine animate	masculine inanimate	feminine	neuter
nominative	ani	any	any	ana
genitive	—	—	—	—
dative	—	—	—	—
accusative	—	—	—	—
locative	—	—	—	—
instrumental	—	—	—	—

Conjunction

an

(archaic) when, while
An tak mluvili, ruce se jim chvěly. ― As they were speaking, their hands quivered.
(archaic) because
Ulehčilo se mi, an jsem byla uspokojena, že sama trpím. ― I was relieved, for it satisfied me that I myself do suffer.

Danish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Middle Low German an and German an, from Proto-Germanic *ana (“on, at”), cognate with English on and doublet of Danish å, Danish på.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈan]

Adverb

an

on (only used in lexicalized expressions)

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈæˀn]

Verb

an

imperative of ane

Egyptian

Romanization

an

Manuel de Codage transliteration of ꜥn.

Elfdalian

Etymology

From Old Norse hann. Cognate with Swedish han.

Pronoun

an m

he

Emilian

Emiliano-Romagnolo Wikipedia has an article on:

an

Wikipedia ^eml

Etymology

From Latin annus.

Noun

an m

year

Fordata

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kaən, from Proto-Austronesian *kaən.

Verb

an

to eat

References

Drabbe, Peter (1932). Woordenboek der Fordaatsche Taal. Bandoeng: A.C. Nix & Co., p. 9.

Franco-Provençal

Franco-Provençal Wikipedia has an article on:

an

Wikipedia ^frp

Etymology

Inherited from Latin annus.

Noun

an m (plural ans) (ORB, broad)

year

Derived terms

anâ

References

an in DicoFranPro: Dictionnaire Français/Francoprovençal – on dicofranpro.llm.umontreal.ca
an in Lo trèsor Arpitan – on arpitan.eu

French

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin annus, from Proto-Italic *atnos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂et-no-, probably from *h₂et- (“to go”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɑ̃/
Audio: (file)
Homophone: en

Noun

an m (plural ans)

year

Derived terms

Related terms

année

Anagrams

n’a

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin annus.

Noun

an m (plural agns)

year

Fula

Etymology 1

Determiner

an (singular)

(possessive) Alternative form of am (my).

Usage notes

Used in Pular.

Etymology 2

Pronoun

an

second person singular emphatic pronoun you

Usage notes

Used in Pular.

Dialectal variants

aan (Pulaar)

References

Oumar Bah, Dictionnaire Pular-Français, Avec un index français-pular, Webonary.org, SIL International, 2014.
Ritsuko Miyamoto (1993) “A Study of Fula Dialects : Examining the Continuous/Stative Constructions”, in Senri Ethnological Studies‎^[13], volume 35, →DOI, pages 215-230

Fuyug

Noun

an (plural aning)

man

References

Robert L. Bradshaw, Fuyug grammar sketch (2007)

German

Etymology

From Middle High German an(e), from Old High German ana, from Proto-West Germanic *ana, from Proto-Germanic *ana.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /an/, [ʔan]
- Audio: (file)
- Rhymes: -an
A lengthened form /aːn/ is possible in non-prepositional uses, e.g. in the prefix an- or the adverb daran. This was formerly widespread, but is now chiefly restricted to Austria and Switzerland (where it is optional). Compare similarly the distinction between in and ein-.

Preposition

an [with 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, with days or times of day) on; in; at
Wir treffen uns am (an dem) Dienstag.
We're meeting on Tuesday.

Ich werde sie am (an dem) Abend sehen.
I will see her in the evening.
(temporal) a; per; only used with the word Tag (“day”), otherwise use in
zweimal am Tag ― twice a day

Preposition

an [with 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.

Preposition

an [with dative or accusative]

(any relation to an object or attribute regardless of time and space) of, on, in, for, about
an einem Roman schreiben ― to write on a novel

Mangel an Lebensmitteln ― lack of food

Alle Menschen sind frei und gleich an Würde und Rechten geboren ― All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

Er ist schuld an dem Unglück ― He is responsible for the misfortune

Das mag ich nicht an ihm ― I don't like that about him

Usage notes

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 generally contract to am (“on the”) if not emphasized.
When followed by the neuter definite article in the accusative case (i.e. das (“the”)), the two words generally contract to ans (“on the”) if not emphasized.

Adverb

an

onward; on
von heute an ― from today on

Adjective

an (indeclinable, predicative only)

(predicative only) on
Synonyms: angeschaltet, ein, eingeschaltet

Antonyms: aus, ausgeschaltet

Ist der Schalter an oder aus? [= Ist der Schalter an- oder ausgeschaltet?]
Is the switch on or off. [Is the switch switched on or off.]

Declension

Indeclinable, predicative-only.

Derived terms

an- (prefix)
(an + dem) am
(an + das) ans
anhin
wohlan, wolan

Anagrams

na

Girawa

Noun

an

water

Gothic

Romanization

an

Romanization of 𐌰𐌽

Haitian Creole

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ã/

Etymology 1

From French un.

Article

an

the (definite article)

Usage notes

Use this word when:

It modifies a singular noun, and
It is preceded by a word that ends with either:
- A nasal vowel, or
- A nasal consonant and an oral (non-nasal) vowel, in that order.

Etymology 2

From French an (“year”).

Noun

an

year

Synonyms

lane

Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from English on, German an. Decision no. 759, Progreso V.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /an/

Preposition

an

at, on (indicates contiguity, juxtaposition)
Me pendis pikturi an la parieto. ― I hung paintings on the wall.

Derived terms

dorso an dorso (“back to back”)
an-

References

Progreso IV (in Ido), 1911–1912, page 409, 523, 591, 622
Progreso V (in Ido), 1912–1913, page 659

Irish

Etymology 1

From Old Irish in, from Proto-Celtic *sindos.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ənˠ/, (between consonants) /ə/, (before a/á, o/ó, u/ú) /ə.n̪ˠ-/, (before e/é, i/í) /ə.n̠ʲ-/

Article

an

the
an t-uisce ― the water

an bhean ― the woman

an pháiste ― of the child

ag an gcailín/chailín ― at the girl

Declension

Case	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Plural
Nominative	an^T	an^L	na^H
Genitive	an^L	na^H	na^E
Dative	an^D	an^D	na^H
D: Triggers lenition after de, do, and i (except of d, t), no mutation with idir, and eclipsis otherwise (varies by dialect); 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 E: Triggers eclipsis H: Triggers h-prothesis L: Triggers lenition (except of d, t; s lenites to ts) T: Triggers t-prothesis

Etymology 2

From Old Irish in.

Pronunciation

(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

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 terms

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

Particle

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 terms

Irish copular forms

Simple copular forms

Present/future
	Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative	Neg. inter.
Main clauses	is	ní	an	nach
Direct relative clauses	is	nach
Indirect relative clauses	ar, arb^v
Other subordinate clauses	gur, gurb^v		an	nach
Past/conditional
	Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative	Neg. inter.
Main clauses	ba, b’^v	níor, níorbh^v	ar, arbh^v	nár, nárbh^v
Direct relative clauses	ba, ab^v	nár, nárbh^v
Indirect relative clauses	ar, arbh^v
Other subordinate clauses	gur, gurbh^v		ar, arbh^v	nár, nárbh^v
Present subjunctive
	Affirmative	Negative
	gura, gurab^v	nára, nárab^v

Compound copular forms

Base word	Present/future	Past/conditional
cá	cár, cárb^v	cár, cárbh^v
cé	cér, cérb^v	cér, cérbh^v
dá		dá mba, dá mb’^v
de/do	dar, darb^v	dar, darbh^v
faoi	faoinar, faoinarb^v	faoinar, faoinarbh^v
i	inar, inarb^v	inar, inarbh^v
le	lenar, lenarb^v	lenar, lenarbh^v
má	más	má ba, má b’^v
mura	mura, murab^v	murar, murarbh^v
ó (prep.)	ónar, ónarb^v	ónar, ónarbh^v
ó (conj.)	ós	ó ba, ó b’^v
trí	trínar, trínarb^v	trínar, trínarbh^v

^v Used before vowel sounds

Etymology 3

Verb

an (present analytic anann, future analytic anfaidh, verbal noun anacht, past participle anta)

(transitive, intransitive) Alternative form of fan (“stay, wait, remain”)

Conjugation

conjugation of an (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third	relative	autonomous
indicative	present	anaim	anann tú; anair^†	anann sé, sí	anaimid	anann sibh	anann siad; anaid^†	a anann; a anas / a n-anann*	antar
	past	d'an mé; d'anas / an mé‡; anas‡	d'an tú; d'anais / an tú; anais‡	d'an sé, sí / an sé, sí‡	d'anamar; d'an muid / anamar; an muid‡	d'an sibh; d'anabhair / an sibh; anabhair‡	d'an siad; d'anadar / an siad; anadar‡	a d'an / ar an*	anadh; hanadh^†
	past habitual	d'anainn / anainn‡; n-anainn‡‡	d'antá / antá‡; n-antá‡‡	d'anadh sé, sí / anadh sé, sí‡; n-anadh sé, sí‡‡	d'anaimis; d'anadh muid / anaimis; anadh muid‡; n-anaimis‡‡; n-anadh muid‡‡	d'anadh sibh / anadh sibh‡; n-anadh sibh‡‡	d'anaidís; d'anadh siad / anaidís; anadh siad‡; n-anaidís‡‡; n-anadh siad‡‡	a d'anadh / a n-anadh*	d'antaí / antaí‡; n-antaí‡‡
future		anfaidh mé; anfad	anfaidh tú; anfair^†	anfaidh sé, sí	anfaimid; anfaidh muid	anfaidh sibh	anfaidh siad; anfaid^†	a anfaidh; a anfas / a n-anfaidh*	anfar
conditional		d'anfainn / anfainn‡; n-anfainn‡‡	d'anfá / anfá‡; n-anfá‡‡	d'anfadh sé, sí / anfadh sé, sí‡; n-anfadh sé, sí‡‡	d'anfaimis; d'anfadh muid / anfaimis‡; anfadh muid‡; n-anfaimis‡‡; n-anfadh muid‡‡	d'anfadh sibh / anfadh sibh‡; n-anfadh sibh‡‡	d'anfaidís; d'anfadh siad / anfaidís‡; anfadh siad‡; n-anfaidís‡‡; n-anfadh siad‡‡	a d'anfadh / a n-anfadh*	d'anfaí / anfaí‡; n-anfaí‡‡
subjunctive	present	go n-ana mé; go n-anad^†	go n-ana tú; go n-anair^†	go n-ana sé, sí	go n-anaimid; go n-ana muid	go n-ana sibh	go n-ana siad; go n-anaid^†	—	go n-antar
subjunctive	past	dá n-anainn	dá n-antá	dá n-anadh sé, sí	dá n-anaimis; dá n-anadh muid	dá n-anadh sibh	dá n-anaidís; dá n-anadh siad	—	dá n-antaí
imperative		anaim	an	anadh sé, sí	anaimis	anaigí; anaidh^†	anaidís	—	antar
verbal noun		anacht
past participle		anta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡ dependent form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis (except an)

Etymology 4

Particle

an

Alternative form of a (used before numbers when counting)

Mutation

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.

Jamaican Creole

Etymology 1

Derived from English hand.

Noun

an (plural an dem, quantified an)

hand
- 2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Maak 3:5:
  So im se tu di man se, “Chrech out yu an.” Di man chrech out im an, an im an get beta.
  Then he told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man held out his hand, and his hand was healed.

Etymology 2

Derived from English and.

Conjunction

an

and
- 2012, Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published 2012, →ISBN, Aks 15:35:
  Bot Paal an Baanabas tan a Antiyak an tiich an priich Gad wod. An nof muor tiicha an priicha did iina di choch.
  But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, and taught and proclaimed the word of God along with many others.

Japanese

Romanization

an

Rōmaji transcription of あん

Juǀ'hoan

Pronunciation

The nasal vowel IPA^(key): /ã/

Letter

an (upper case An)

A letter of the Juǀ'hoan alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Ladin

Etymology

From Latin annus.

Noun

an m (plural ani)

year

Latin

Etymology

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, Albanian a, Proto-Slavic *onъ.^[1]

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /an/, [än]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /an/, [än]

Conjunction

an

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

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

References

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^[14], 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)

^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7)‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN

Loniu

Noun

an

fresh water

References

Malcolm Ross, Andrew Pawley, Meredith Osmond, The Lexicon of Proto-Oceanic →ISBN, 2007)
Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (as ʔan)

Low German

Etymology

From Middle Low German an, from Old Saxon an, ana, from Proto-Germanic *an, *ana.

Pronunciation

Rhymes: -an
IPA^(key): /an/, /aːn/, /ɒːn/, /ɔːn/

Preposition

an

on
to, at

Inflection

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

Neither the spelling nor grammar of these forms applies to all, or even necessarily the majority, of dialects.

Adverb

an

on

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /an/, [ɑn]
Rhymes: -ɑn

Etymology 1

From Old High German indi.

Conjunction

an

and

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *in.

Preposition

an

in

Mandarin

Romanization

an

Nonstandard spelling of ān.
Nonstandard spelling of án.
Nonstandard spelling of ǎn.
Nonstandard spelling of àn.

Usage notes

Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle Dutch

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /an/

Preposition

an

Alternative form of āne

Middle English

Alternative forms

a, ane, o, on (see usage notes)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /a(n)/ (see usage notes)

Etymology 1

An unstressed form of oon (“one”), from the occasional use of Old English ān (“one”) as an article.

Article

an

a, an (indefinite article):
- p. 1154, “AD 1137”, in Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS. Laud Misc. 636, continuation), Peterborough, folio 89, verso; republished at Oxford: Digital Bodleian, 2018 February 8:
  Þu myhteſ faren al a dæiſ fare ſculdeſt thu neure finden man in tun ſittende · ne land tiled.
  You could go a whole day's journey, but you'd never find anyone in town or any tilled fields.
- 1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “The Prologe of the Tale of the Wẏf of Bathe”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published [c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 63, verso, lines 438-440:
  And but ye do / c[er]teyn we shal yow teche / that it is fair / to han a wyf in pees / Oon of vs two / moſte bowen doutelees
  And unless you do, we'll certainly teach you / that it's fair to have a wife in peace; / one of the two of us must without doubt submit.
1. Any example or instance of a thing.
2. A certain or particular thing.
3. Any, every; several or all instances of a thing.
Used in conjunction with numerals (especially hundred, thousend)

Usage notes

In later non-Northern Middle English, a is usually found before consonants other than /h/, while an is usually found preceding vowels and /h/. However, an often occurs before any consonant in earlier Middle English.
In early Middle English, the indefinite article is often omitted; occasional omission persists into later Middle English.
Inflected forms of the indefinite article are sometimes found in early Middle English; see the inflection table below.

Declension

Declension of an (early)

	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	an, a	an, a	an, a
Accusative	enne, ane, an, a	ane, an, a	ane, an, a
Genitive	anes, ane, an, a	are, anes, ane, an, a	anes, ane, an, a
Dative	ane, an, a	are, an, a	ane, an, a

Descendants

English: an, a
Scots: a
Yola: a, e

References

“a, indef. art.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Preposition

an

Alternative form of in

Etymology 3

Conjunction

an

Alternative form of and

Etymology 4

Numeral

an

Alternative form of oon

Etymology 5

Verb

an

Alternative form of haven

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French an, from Latin annus.

Noun

an m (plural ans)

year

Descendants

French: an

Middle Welsh

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ən/

Determiner

an

Alternative form of yn

Mirandese

Etymology

From Latin in.

Preposition

an

in
on

Mòcheno

Article

an

oblique masculine of a

Derived terms

van

References

“an” in Cimbrian, Ladin, Mòcheno: Getting to know 3 peoples. 2015. Servizio minoranze linguistiche locali della Provincia autonoma di Trento, Trento, Italy.

Norman

Etymology

From Old French an, from Latin annus.

Pronunciation

Audio (Jersey): (file)

Noun

an m (plural ans)

(Guernsey, Jersey) year

Synonyms

année

Derived terms

Jour dé l'An (“New Year's Day”)
Nouvel An (“New Year”)
tchu d'l'an (“last day of the year”)

Northern Kurdish

Etymology

Confer Persian (yâ).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɑːn/

Conjunction

an (Arabic spelling ئان)

or
Synonym: (after a word ending in a vowel) yan

References

Chyet, Michael L. (2020) “an”, in Ferhenga Birûskî: Kurmanji–English Dictionary (Language Series; 2), volume 2, London: Transnational Press, page 8

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɑːn/
Audio: (file)
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -ɑːn
Hyphenation: an

Verb

an

imperative of ane

Anagrams

Na, na

Occitan

Pronunciation

Audio (Béarn): (file)

Etymology 1

From Old Occitan an, from Latin annus.

Noun

an m (plural ans)

year

Usage notes

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

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

an

third-person plural present indicative of aver

Old Czech

Etymology

Univerbation of a +‎ on.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈan/
IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈan/

Conjunction

an

connects clauses; and that/he
connects contrastive clauses; but that/he
introduces a temporal clause of recency; as he just (was)

Declension

Declension of an

singular
	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	an	ana	ano
genitive	—	—	—
dative	—	—	—
accusative	—, —	—	—
locative	—	—	—
instrumental	—	—	—
dual
	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ana	aně
genitive	—
dative	—
accusative	—	—
locative	—
instrumental	—
plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	ani	any	ana
genitive	—
dative	—
accusative	—		—
locative	—
instrumental	—

Derived terms

Old English

**Old English numbers ^(edit)**
	10
	1	2 →	10 →
Cardinal: ān Ordinal: forma Adverbial: ǣne Age: ānwintre Multiplier: ānfeald

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *ain, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz.

Germanic cognates include Old Frisian ān, Old Saxon ēn, Old High German ein, Old Norse einn, Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (ains). The Indo-European root is also the source of Latin ūnus, Ancient Greek οἶος (oîos), Old Irish oen.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɔːn/

Numeral

ān

one
- "Gospel of Saint John", chapter 10, verse 30
  Ic and Fæder synt ān.
  I and Father are one.
- c. 973, Æthelwold's translation of the Rule of Saint Benedict, quoting Galatians 3:28
  Ġe þēo ġe frēo, eall wē sind on Criste ān.
  Slave or free, we are all one in Christ.
- c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Mark 14:37
  Þā cōm hē and fand hīe slǣpende, and cwæþ tō Petre, "Simon, slǣpst þū? Ne meahtest þū āne tīd wacian?"
  Then he came and found them asleep, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Couldn't you stay awake for one hour?"
- early 12th century, the Peterborough Chronicle, year 1100
  On morgen æfter Hlāfmæssedæġe wearþ sē cyning Willelm on huntoþe fram his ānum menn mid āne flāne ofsċoten.
  On the morning after Lammas day, King William was out hunting when he was shot with an arrow by one of his servants.

Declension

Declension of ān

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ān	ān	ān
Accusative	ānne, ǣnne	āne	ān
Genitive	ānes	ānre	ānes
Dative	ānum	ānre	ānum
Instrumental	āne	ānre	āne
	Plural
Nominative	āne
Accusative	āne
Genitive	ānra
Dative	ānum
Instrumental	ānum

Article

ān

a certain
(uncommon) a, an (indefinite article)

Adjective

ān

only
Ne bēoþ wē ġeboren ūs selfum ānum.
We aren't born for ourselves alone.

Mæġ man sprecan be rīmum ġif þing ān sind?
Can we speak of numbers if there are only things?
- 11th century, Durham Proverbs, no. 22
  Earg mæġ þæt ān þæt hē him ondrǣde.
  A coward can only do one thing: fear.
- c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English
  Āne twā word sind þǣre fēorðan ġeþīednesse: eō ("iċ gange"), īs ("þū gǣst"); queō ("iċ mæġ"), quīs ("þū meaht").
  Only two words follow the fourth declension: eo ("I go"), is ("you go"); queo ("I can"), quis ("you can").
- c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 5:18
  Þæs þe mā þā Iudēiscan sōhton hine tō ofslēanne, næs nā for þon āne þe hē þone ræstedæġ bræc, ac for þon þe hē cwæþ þæt God wǣre his fæder, and hine selfne dyde Gode ġelīcne.
  That made the Jews try even harder to kill him, not just for breaking the Sabbath, but for saying God was his father, and making himself equal to God.
- c. 1000, "The Battle of Maldon", lines 94-95
  God āna wāt hwā þǣre wælstōwe wealdan mōte.
  Only God knows who is destined to control the battlefield.
- "The Fortunes of Men", lines 8-9
  God āna wāt hwæt him weaxendum wintra bringaþ.
  God only knows what the years will bring to the growing child.
alone
Neart þū ġenōg eald þæt þū āna on sund gā.
You're not old enough to go swimming by yourself.

Iċ slǣpe āna.
I sleep alone.
- c. 992, Ælfric, "St. Benedict, Abbot"
  Gang nū tō mynstre ġif þū mæġe, and mē āna forlǣt.
  Now go to the monastery if you can, and leave me alone.
- c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English
  Foresetnessa ne bēoþ nāhwǣr āna, ac bēoþ ǣfre tō sumum ōðrum worde ġefēġeda.
  Prepositions never occur by themselves: they are always attached to some other word.
- c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Paul the Apostle"
  Petrus āna spræc for ealne þone hēap.
  Peter by himself spoke for the whole group.

Usage notes

In the above senses ("only" and "alone"), this word was often used in the weak declension, often indeclinably as āna.

Declension

Declension of ān — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ān	ān	ān
Accusative	ānne	āne	ān
Genitive	ānes	ānre	ānes
Dative	ānum	ānre	ānum
Instrumental	āne	ānre	āne
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	āne	āna, āne	ān
Accusative	āne	āna, āne	ān
Genitive	ānra	ānra	ānra
Dative	ānum	ānum	ānum
Instrumental	ānum	ānum	ānum

Declension of ān — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	āna	āne	āne
Accusative	ānan	ānan	āne
Genitive	ānan	ānan	ānan
Dative	ānan	ānan	ānan
Instrumental	ānan	ānan	ānan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	ānan	ānan	ānan
Accusative	ānan	ānan	ānan
Genitive	ānra, ānena	ānra, ānena	ānra, ānena
Dative	ānum	ānum	ānum
Instrumental	ānum	ānum	ānum

Adverb

ān

only
- 995. Anglo-Saxon Gospels, Translation, Gospel of Saint Matthew, chapter 8, verse 8.
  Ðā andswarode sē hundredes ealdor and ðus cwæþ, Drihten, ne eom ic wyrðe, ðæt ðū ingange under mīne þecene; ac cweþ ðīn ān word, and mīn cnapa biþ ġehǣled.
  Then answered the centurion, and said thus, Lord, I am not worthy, that you enter under my roof; but say your word only, and my boy will be healed.

Noun

ān n

one (digit or figure)

Declension

Declension of ān (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	ān	ān
accusative	ān	ān
genitive	ānes	āna
dative	āne	ānum

Derived terms

Descendants

Middle English: oon, on, one, oen, oune, hon, none, an, anne, onne, an, ane, auen, aune (Northern), auen, aune (north Midland), enne, onen, onenen (Kent), en, an, ane (Early Middle English), won, von, wone (Late Middle English), on, one, an (Northern), an, ane (Early Middle English)
- English: one, an, a, yan (dialectal)
- Geordie English: yen
- Scots: ane, wan, yin, ae
- Yola: oan, own, ane

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɑn/

Preposition

an

Alternative form of on

References

Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “an”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[15], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Old French

Etymology

From Latin annus.

Noun

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

year

Related terms

anee

Descendants

French: an, année
- Antillean Creole: lanné
Gallo: anné
Norman: aun, an, annaée, année, onnaïe
Walloon: anêye

Old Frisian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈaːn/

Numeral

ān

Alternative form of ēn

References

Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN

Old Irish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [an]

Pronoun

an (triggers eclipsis, takes a leniting relative clause)

Alternative form of a
- c. 800–825, Diarmait, 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. 112^b13
  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.

Verb

·an

third-person singular preterite conjunct of anaid

Verb

an

second-person singular imperative of anaid

Mutation

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
an (pronounced with /h/ in h-prothesis environments)	unchanged	n-an
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Old Norse

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *þan, possibly through *þannai, whence cognate with Old English þonne (“than”). For similar loss of þ- compare at from earlier Proto-Norse ᚦᚨᛏ (þat), ᚦᛡᛏ (þᴀt).

Conjunction

an

than

Descendants

⇒ Old Norse: en
- Icelandic: en
- Norwegian Nynorsk: enn
- Norwegian Bokmål: enn
- Old Swedish: æn
  - Swedish: än
- Danish: end

Old Occitan

Etymology

From Latin annus (“year”).

Noun

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

year

Descendants

Occitan: an

Old Polish

Etymology

Univerbation of a +‎ on.^[1] First attested in 1388.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /an/
IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /an/

Conjunction

an

(attested in Greater Poland) connects clauses; and that
- 1888 [1388], Romuald Hube, editor, Zbiór rot przysiąg sądowych poznańskich, kościańskich, kaliskich, sieradzkich, piotrkowskich i dobrzyszyckich z końca wieku XIV i pierwszych lat wieku XV‎^[16], Greater Poland, page 5:
  Wlost umouil Swenthoslauem rok, an gi na tem rocze ianl
  [Włost umówił z Świętosławem rok, an ji na tem roce jął]
(attested in Greater Poland) connects contrastive clauses; but that
- 1887, 1889 [1391], Józef Lekszycki, editor, Die ältesten großpolnischen Grodbücher, volume I, number 1014, Poznań:
  Pani Helska Vøczenczovim ludzem czinila zaplaczena podlug vgednana, ani gey ne chczeli przyøcz
  [Pani Helżka Więcencowym ludziem czyniła zapłacenia podług ujednania, ani jej nie chcieli przyjąć]
(attested in Masovia) introduces a temporal clause of recency; as it just (was)
- 1879 [1417], Jan Tadeusz Lubomirski, editor, Księga ziemi czerskiej 1404-1425. Liber terrae Cernensis‎^[17], Masovia, page 178:
  Wanczlaw wszal voli Yanowi na ych dzedzine, an czski berze
  [Więcław wziął woły Janowi na ich dziedzinie, an cki bierze]

References

^ J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “an”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 33

B. Sieradzka-Baziur, Ewa Deptuchowa, Joanna Duska, Mariusz Frodyma, Beata Hejmo, Dorota Janeczko, Katarzyna Jasińska, Krystyna Kajtoch, Joanna Kozioł, Marian Kucała, Dorota Mika, Gabriela Niemiec, Urszula Poprawska, Elżbieta Supranowicz, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, Piotr Szpor, Bartłomiej Borek, editors (2011–2015), “an”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *an.

Preposition

an

on, in

Proto-Norse

Romanization

an

Romanization of ᚨᚾ

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin annus (“year”), from Proto-Italic *atnos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂et-no-, probably from *h₂et- (“to go”). Compare Megleno-Romanian an and Aromanian an.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /an/
Audio: (file)
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -an

Noun

an m (plural ani or (obsolete) ai)

year

Declension

Declension of an

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) an	anul	(niște) ani	anii
genitive/dative	(unui) an	anului	(unor) ani	anilor
vocative	anule		anilor

Derived terms

References

an in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

Romansch

Alternative forms

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

Etymology

From Latin annus.

Noun

an m (plural ans)

(Puter) year

Sardinian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /an/

Preposition

an

(Nuorese) Alternative form of a, used before words starting with d-
- 1896, Egidio Bellorini, “Non temere; io torno e ti sposo”, in Canti popolari amorosi raccolti a Nuoro, Bergamo, section 153, page 79, lines 1–4:
  Sette calonicheḍḍos
  Falan a Ffiniscole
  A ffacher ẓibbileu
  An dommo de una monẓa.
  Seven priests go down to Siniscola, to have a jubilee at a nun's house.

References

Wagner, Max Leopold (1960–1964) “a²”, in Dizionario etimologico sardo, Heidelberg

Saterland Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian an, from Proto-West Germanic *an, from Proto-Germanic *an. Cognates include West Frisian oan and German an.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /an/
Hyphenation: an
Rhymes: -an

Preposition

an (neuter or distal adverb deeran, proximal adverb hieran, interrogative adverb wieran)

on
Mien Jasse honget an dän Hoake. ― My jacket is hanging on the hook.
at
Iek sitte an dän Disk. ― I'm sitting at the table.
next to
Iek sitte an mien Suster. ― I'm sitting next to my sister.
towards, to
Dät Boot is an Lound kemen. ― The boat came ashore (literally, “The boat has come to land.”)
of, from
Mien Bääsje is an Kanker stúurven. ― My grandmother died of cancer.
about, circa
Iek häbe an do fjautig Ljudene blouked. ― I have seen about forty people.

Adjective

an

on, switched on, burning
Dät Fjúur is an. ― The fire is burning.

Ju Laampe is an. ― The lamp is switched on.

References

Marron C. Fort (2015) “an”, in Saterfriesisches Wörterbuch mit einer phonologischen und grammatischen Übersicht, Buske, →ISBN

Scots

Etymology 1

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”).

Alternative forms

an'
and

Pronunciation

(stressed) IPA^(key): [ɑn]
(unstressed) IPA^(key): [ən]

Conjunction

an

and

Derived terms

an a'

Etymology 2

From Middle English oon, from Old English ān (“one”), from Proto-Germanic *ainaz, from Proto-Indo-European *óynos. Cognate to English an.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ən]

Article

an

(before a vowel) a, an

Usage notes

In colloquial usage mostly replaced by a. However, still widely used in literature, probably due to English influence. ^[1]

Synonyms

a

References

“an, indef. art.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.

^ https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/a_indef_art

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology 1

From Old Irish in. Cognates include Irish an and Manx yn.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (before a, o, u or a broad consonant) /ən̪ˠ/, (before broad g or k) /əŋ/, (before e, i or a slender consonant) /əɲ/, (colloquial before a consonant) /ə/
Hyphenation: an

Article

an

the

Declension

Variation of an (definite article)
	Masculine			Feminine			Plural
	nom.	dat.	gen.	nom.	dat.	gen.	nom.	dat.	gen.
+ f-	am	an^L		an^L		na	na		nam
+ m-, p- or b-	am	a'^L		a'^L		na	na		nam
+ c- or g-	an	a'^L		a'^L		na	na		nan
+ sV-, sl-, sn- or sr-	an	an^T		an^T		na	na		nan
+ other consonant	an	an		an		na	na		nan
+ vowel	an^T	an		an		na^H	na^H		nan
^L Triggers lenition; ^H Triggers H-prothesis; ^T Triggers T-prothesis

Etymology 2

From Old Irish a. Cognates include Irish a.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ən/

Determiner

an

their

Etymology 3

From Old Irish i. Cognates include Irish i and Manx ayns.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (before a, o, u or a broad consonant) /ən̪ˠ/, (before broad g or k) /əŋ/, (before e, i or a slender consonant) /əɲ/

Preposition

an (+ dative, no mutation)

in

Usage notes

This form is not used before nouns beginning with b, f, m or p, where am and ann am are used instead.

Inflection

Personal inflection of an
Number	Person	Simple	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

Possessive declension of an

	Singular	Plural
First person	nam^L	nar^N
Second person	nad^L	nur^N
Third person m	na^L	nan^N, nam^{N 1)}
Third person f	na^H	nan^N, nam^{N 1)}
^L Triggers lenition; ^H Triggers H-prothesis; ^N Triggers eclipsis; ¹⁾ Used before b-, f-, m- or p-

Synonyms

ann an

Derived terms

Etymology 4

From Old Irish in. Cognates include Irish an.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (before a, o, u or a broad consonant) /ən̪ˠ/, (before broad g or k) /əŋ/, (before e, i or a slender consonant) /əɲ/, (colloquial before a consonant) /ə/

Particle

an

Used together with a dependent form of a verb to form the interrogative.

Usage notes

Before verbs beginning with b, f, m or p, the form am is used. Before bheil (“am, is, are”), the form a is also used.

Verb

an

Present interrogative form of is (the copula).

Usage notes

Before words beginning with b, f, m or p, the form am is used.

Inflection

Conjugation of is (highly irregular, defective)

		singular			plural
		first	second	third m/f	first	second	third
independent	present	is mi	is tu	is e/i	is sinn	is sibh	is iad
	past	bu mhi	bu tu	b' e/i	bu sinn	bu sibh	b' iad
	conditional	bu mhi	bu tu	b' e/i	bu sinn	bu sibh	b' iad
negative	present	cha mhi	cha tu	chan e/i	cha sinn	cha sibh	chan iad
	past	cha bu mhi	cha bu tu	cha b' e/i	cha bu sinn	cha bu sibh	cha b' iad
	conditional	cha bu mhi	cha bu tu	cha b' e/i	cha bu sinn	cha bu sibh	cha b' iad
affirmative interrogative	present	am mi?	an tu?	an e/i?	an sinn?	an sibh?	an iad?
	past	am bu mhi?	am bu tu?	am b' e/i?	am bu sinn?	am bu sibh?	am b' iad?
	conditional	am bu mhi?	am bu tu?	am b' e/i?	am bu sinn?	am bu sibh?	am b' iad?
Negative interrogative	present	nach mi?	nach tu?	nach e/i?	nach sinn?	nach sibh?	nach iad?
	past	nach bu mhi?	nach bu tu?	nach b' e/i?	nach bu sinn?	nach bu sibh?	nach b' iad?
	conditional	nach bu mhi?	nach bu tu?	nach b' e/i?	nach bu sinn?	nach bu sibh?	nach b' iad?

References

Edward Dwelly (1911) “an”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan‎^[18], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 a”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “i”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “in”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Colin Mark (2003) The Gaelic-English dictionary, London: Routledge, →ISBN, pages 34-35

Siraya

Etymology

From Proto-Austronesian *-an.

Noun

an

place

Southwestern Dinka

Pronoun

an

I

References

Dinka-English Dictionary‎^[19], 2005

Sumerian

Romanization

an

Romanization of 𒀭 (an)

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German an and German an, and less commonly from English on, from Proto-Germanic *ana (“on, at”), cognate with English on and doublet of Swedish å, Swedish på.

Adverb

an

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

Related terms

Preposition

an

(accounting) to

Anagrams

-na, na

Tày

Pronunciation

(Thạch An – Tràng Định) IPA^(key): [ʔaːn˧˥]
(Trùng Khánh) IPA^(key): [ʔaːn˦]

Etymology 1

From Chinese 安 (ān).

Adjective

an (安)

peaceful; undisturbed
dú bấu an ― to live unpeacefully

Mí đảy an slắc vằn.
I can't have a single peaceful day.

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Verb

an

to manage to do something; to fend for oneself
An ý ngòi. ― Manage it.

Etymology 3

Noun

an

saddle; howdah
an chạng ― howdah

an năng đây ― good leather saddle

References

Lương Bèn (2011) Từ điển Tày-Việt‎^[20][21] (in Vietnamese), Thái Nguyên: Nhà Xuất bản Đại học Thái Nguyên
Lục Văn Pảo, Hoàng Tuấn Nam (2003) Hoàng Triều Ân, editor, Từ điển chữ Nôm Tày‎^[22] (in Vietnamese), Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Khoa học Xã hội
Léopold Michel Cadière (1910) Dictionnaire Tày-Annamite-Français‎^[23] (in French), Hanoi: Impressions d'Extrême-Orient

Tedim Chin

Etymology

From Proto-Kuki-Chin *ʔan (“vegetables”), from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *h(y)an.

Noun

an

food

References

Zomi Ordbog based on the work of D.L. Haokip

Torres Strait Creole

Etymology

From English hand.

Noun

an

hand, lower arm
flipper

Turkish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɑn/, [ɑn̪]

Etymology 1

From Ottoman Turkish آن (an), from Arabic آن (ʔān).

Noun

an (definite accusative anı, plural anlar)

moment
- 1939 February 14, “Acaba İspanyada Krallık iade edilecek mi!”, in Aydin, page 1:
  İnglitere Fransa ile Frankoyu tanımak üzeredir. Bu kararı iki hükümet bir anda ilan edecektir.
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Inflection

Nominative

an

Definite accusative

anı

Singular

Plural

Nominative

an

anlar

Definite accusative

anı

anları

Dative

ana

Locative

Ablative

Genitive

Possessive forms
Nominative
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	anım	anlarım
2nd singular	anın	anların
3rd singular	anı	anları
1st plural	anımız	anlarımız
2nd plural	anınız	anlarınız
3rd plural	anları	anları
Definite accusative
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	anımı	anlarımı
2nd singular	anını	anlarını
3rd singular	anını	anlarını
1st plural	anımızı	anlarımızı
2nd plural	anınızı	anlarınızı
3rd plural	anlarını	anlarını
Dative
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	anıma	anlarıma
2nd singular	anına	anlarına
3rd singular	anına	anlarına
1st plural	anımıza	anlarımıza
2nd plural	anınıza	anlarınıza
3rd plural	anlarına	anlarına
Locative
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	anımda	anlarımda
2nd singular	anında	anlarında
3rd singular	anında	anlarında
1st plural	anımızda	anlarımızda
2nd plural	anınızda	anlarınızda
3rd plural	anlarında	anlarında
Ablative
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	anımdan	anlarımdan
2nd singular	anından	anlarından
3rd singular	anından	anlarından
1st plural	anımızdan	anlarımızdan
2nd plural	anınızdan	anlarınızdan
3rd plural	anlarından	anlarından
Genitive
	Singular	Plural
1st singular	anımın	anlarımın
2nd singular	anının	anlarının
3rd singular	anının	anlarının
1st plural	anımızın	anlarımızın
2nd plural	anınızın	anlarınızın
3rd plural	anlarının	anlarının

References

Kélékian, Diran (1911) “آن”, in Dictionnaire turc-français‎^[24], Constantinople: Mihran, page 38
Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “an”, in Nişanyan Sözlük

Etymology 2

Verb

an

second-person singular imperative of anmak

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 安 (“tranquil”). The character can also be read as yên, a form of probable Northern origin.

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔaːn˧˧]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔaːŋ˧˧]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔaːŋ˧˧]

Romanization

an

Sino-Vietnamese reading of 安

Derived terms

Anagrams

na

Vilamovian

**Vilamovian cardinal numbers**
	1	2 >
Cardinal : an

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /an/
Audio: (file)

Conjunction

an

and

Related terms

ana

Numeral

ān

one

Related terms

alf

Waray-Waray

Etymology

From Proto-Central Philippine *aŋ. Cognate with Cebuano ang, Hiligaynon ang, Tagalog ang, Bikol Central an.

Further etymology is debated; some have theorized a relationship to Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *a (“direct marker”), from Proto-Austronesian *a (“direct marker”) with the addition of an unclear nasal suffix. Compare Kapampangan ing.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ʔan/, [ʔan]

Particle

an

direct marker for all general nouns other than personal proper nouns
Midalagan an lalaki paingon ha baybayon.
The man ran towards the shore.

Gikaon han iring an isda.
The cat ate the fish.

Usage notes

This particle is analyzed as the definite article (i.e., the) when used alone, and the indefinite article (i.e., a or an) when used with the numeral "usa" plus "ka" that quantifies an object/object that it modifies.
An adlaw.
The sun.

An usa ka tawo.
A person.
Specific nouns are marked with "si".
Direct personal proper nouns (primarily names) are marked with "si".

Yola

Etymology 1

From Middle English an, from Old English and, ond, end, from Proto-Germanic *andi, *anþi.

Alternative forms

an', and

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /an/, /and/

Conjunction

an

and
- 1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 31:
  Coardhed an recoardhed.
  Searched and researched.

Etymology 2

Preposition

an

Alternative form of on
- 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 1, page 84:
  Lidge w'ouse an a milagh, tis gaay an louthee:
  Lie with us on the clover, 'tis fair and sheltered:

References

Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867

Yoruba

Pronunciation

(mid-tone): IPA^(key): /ã̄/
(high-tone): IPA^(key): /ã́/

Pronoun

an

him, her, it (third-person singular non-honorific object pronoun following a monosyllabic verb with a high-tone /ã/)

Pronoun

án

him, her, it (third-person singular non-honorific object pronoun following a monosyllabic verb with a low- or mid-tone /ã/)

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mo	a
2nd person	o	ẹ
3rd person	ó	wọ́n

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mi / n	a
2nd person	o	ẹ
3rd person	[pronoun dropped]	wọn

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	mi	wa
2nd person	ọ / ẹ	yín
3rd person	[preceding vowel repeated for monosyllabic verbs] / ẹ̀	wọn

	singular	plural or honorific
1st person	èmi	àwa
2nd person	ìwọ	ẹ̀yin
3rd person	òun	àwọn

	Singular		Plural
	+ C	+ V	+ C	+ V
First person	mo^L	m'	ar	ar^N
Second person	do^L	d'	ur	ur^N
Third person m	a^L	—	an, am¹⁾	an
Third person f	a	a^H	an, am¹⁾	an
^L Triggers lenition; ^H Triggers H-prothesis; ^N Triggers eclipsis; ¹⁾ Used before b-, f-, m- or p-