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Origin and history of on-

on-

the preposition and adverb on used as a prefix; Old English on-, an-.

Entries linking to on-

on(prep., adv.)

"in a position above and in contact with; in such a position as to be supported by;" also noting the goal to which some action is or has been directed; "about, concerning, regarding; in a position to cover;" as an adverb, "in or into a position in contact with and supported by the top or upper part of something; in or into place; in place for use or action; into movement or action; in operation," Old English on, unstressed variant of an "in, on, into," from Proto-Germanic *ana "on" (source also of Dutch aan, German an, Gothic ana "on, upon"), from PIE root *an- (1) "on" (source also of Avestan ana "on," Greek ana "on, upon," Latin an-, Old Church Slavonic na, Lithuanian nuo "down from").

Also used in Old English in many places where we now would use in. From 16c.-18c. (and still in northern England dialect) often reduced to o'. Phrase on to "aware" is from 1877.

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    propinquity
    affinity," from propinquus "near, neighboring," from prope "near," with loss of second -r- by dissimilation, from PIE *propro "on...and on, ever further" (source also of Sanskrit pra-pra "on and on," Greek pro-pro "before, on and on"), from root *per-...
    propitiation
    The current explanation of this (as of de Vaan) is that it represents *propre-tio-, from PIE *propro "on and on, ever further..." (source also of Sanskrit pra-pra "on and on," Greek pro-pro "before, on and on"), from root *per- (1) "forward," hence...
    pedestrian
    1716, "prosaic, dull" (of writing), from Latin pedester (genitive pedestris) "plain, not versified, prosaic," literally "on...foot" (sense contrasted with equester "on horseback"), from pedes "one who goes on foot," from pes (genitive pedis) "foot...Meaning "going on foot" is attested by 1791 in English (it also was a sense of Latin pedester)....
    reel
    late 14c., relen, "to wind on a reel, wind (yarn, thread, etc.) on a reel," from reel (n.1).... Fishing sense of "wind (the line) on a reel" is from 1849....recite without pause or effort" is from 1837, perhaps an image from spinning (reel off is attested by 1801 as "wind off on...To reel (something) in "recover by winding on the reel after the line has been played" (1881) is an image from fishing....
    qui vive
    1726, in on the qui vive "on the alert," from French être sur le qui vive "be on the alert," from the phrase qui voulez-vous...meaning "whose side are you on?" (The answer might be Vive la France, Vive le roi, etc.)....
    around
    c. 1300, "in circumference, in a circle, on every side," from phrase on round; see a- (1) + round (adj.)....As a preposition, "on or along a circuit," from late 14c.; "on all sides, encircling, about" from 1660s; of time, by 1873...
    spot
    From c. 1300 as "patch or mark on the fur of an animal."...Also from late 14c. as "an eruption on the skin."...Hence to be on the spot "doing just what is right and needed" (1884)....Adverbial phrase spot on "completely right" attested from 1920....
    emanation
    "act of flowing or issuing from an origin; emission; radiation; what issues, flows, or is given out from any substance or body;" 1560s, from Late Latin emanationem (nominative emanatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin emanare "flow out, spring out of," figurati
    cake
    early 13c., "flat or comparatively thin mass of baked dough," from Old Norse kaka "cake," from West Germanic *kokon- (source also of Middle Dutch koke, Dutch koek "a cake, gingerbread, dumpling," Old High German kuohho, German Kuchen "a cake, a tart"). Not believed to be related
    poontang
    "female genitalia," also "sex with a woman; woman regarded as a sex object," c. 1910, a word of uncertain origin.  Shortened form poon is recorded by 1969. Probably via New Orleans Creole, from French putain "prostitute," from Old French pute "whore" (cognate with Spanish an

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