an

1. (international standards)ISO 639-1language code forAragonese.

• (stressed form)IPA^(key):/ˈæn/
  • (Received Pronunciation,General Australian)IPA^(key):[ˈæn]

    • Audio(UK):

      (file)

  • (Standard Southern British)IPA^(key):[ˈan]
  • (US)IPA^(key):[ˈeən],[ˈɛən]

    • Audio(US,æ-tensing):

      (file)

  • (Canada)IPA^(key):[ˈɛən],[ˈæ(ː)n]
• Rhymes:-æn
• (unstressed form)IPA^(key):/ən/

  • Audio(US,unstressed form);“an egg”:

    (file)

• Homophone:in (in some accents)

FromMiddle Englishan, fromOld Englishān(“a, an”, literally“one”). More atone.

an (indefinite)

1. Form ofa(all article senses).
   1. Used before avowel sound.

      I'll be there inhalfan hour.

      'E's staying atan 'otel.(compare He's staying at a hotel.)

      • 1897 December (indicated as1898),Winston Churchill, chapter II, inThe 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, likean English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.

      • 1971,Lyndon Johnson, “The Beginning”, inThe Vantage Point‎^[2],Holt, Reinhart & Winston,→ISBN,→LCCN,→OCLC,page12:

        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 evenan hour.

   2. (now quiterare)Used beforeone and words with initial⟨u⟩,⟨eu⟩ when pronounced/ju/.
      • 1611,The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London:[…]Robert Barker, […],→OCLC,Numbers24:8:

        God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength ofan unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.

      • (Can wedate this quote?),John Mackay Wilson,Wilson's Tales of the Borders; Historical, Traditionary, and Imaginative‎^[3],→OCLC,page84:

        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 thanan union of this shadowy ambition withmediocre parts and attainments! But I digress.

      • 2010 March 22, Paul Taylor, “Greece Debates Revive Old European Fears and Resentments”, inThe New York Times‎^[4],→ISSN,→OCLC, archived fromthe original on2010-04-03, Inside Europe:

        President Nicolas Sarkozy of France is open toan 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”, inThe New York Times‎^[5],→ISSN,→OCLC, archived fromthe original onApril 14, 2021, U.S.‎^[6]:

        Inan 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, inLawrence: Jack Smith asks SCOTUS to move fast on Trump. Nixon case is proof they can.‎^[7],MSNBC, archived fromthe original onFebruary 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 ofan 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, seeCitations:an.
   3. (nonstandard)Used before/h/ in a stressed or unstressed syllable.
      • 1611,The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London:[…]Robert Barker, […],→OCLC,Psalms40:1–2:

        1 I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined vnto me, and heard my crie.
        2 He brought me vp also out ofan horrible pit, out of the mirie clay, and set my feete vpon a rock, and established my goings.

      • 1693,Robert Morden, “Of China”, inGeography Rectified; or a Description of the World‎^[8], 3rd edition,→OCLC,page441:

        The Province ofNanking, by theTartars calledKiangnan, is the ſecond in honour, in magnitude and fertility in allChina : It is divided into 14 great Territories, having Cities and Townsan hundred and ten;Nanking, orKiangning being theMetropolis; 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”, inCurrent Soviet Policies‎^[9],New York:Frederick A. Praeger,→ISSN,→LCCN,→OCLC,page254:

        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 gainedan historic victory a few years ago.

      • 1972 May 28, 3:30 from the start, inPresident Nixon addresses the Soviet People live from the Kremlin‎^[10], spoken byRichard Nixon, archived fromthe original on22 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 takenan historic first step in the limitation of nuclear strategic arms.

      • 2022 June 29,David Pakman, 0:00 from the start, inTrump Assaulted Secret Service Agent, Smeared Ketchup on Wall‎^[11], archived fromthe original on30 June 2022:

        Well yesterday wasan 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.

• In standard English, the articlean is used before vowel sounds, whilea 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 beforeone and before many words with initial⟨u⟩,⟨eu⟩ (now pronounced with initial/juː/,/jʊ/,/jə/), such aseunuch,unique, andutility. 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 ofa are all senses ofan.

an

1. (nonstandard,British,West Country)one

FromMiddle Englishan(“and, if”).Doublet ofand.

an

1. (archaic)If
   • c.1596–1598 (date written),William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→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 mean thou have any requirement I may grant."

2. (archaic) So long as.

   An it harm none, do what ye will.

3. (archaic) As if; as though.
   • 1797–1798 (date written), [Samuel Taylor Coleridge], “The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere”, inLyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems, London:[…] J[ohn] & A[rthur] Arch, […], published1798,→OCLC:
     (original version), lines 61–64:

     At length did cross an Albatross,
     Thorough the Fog it came;
     Andan it were a Christian Soul,
     We hail'd it in God's Name.

Borrowed fromGeorgianან(an).

an (pluralans)

1. The firstletter of theGeorgianalphabet,ა (Mkhedruli),Ⴀ (Asomtavruli) orⴀ (Nuskhuri).

From theOld Englishan,on(preposition).

an

1. In each; to or for each;per.

   I was only going twenty milesan hour.

• This is the same as the worda in such contexts, modified because of preceding a vowel sound (after an unpronouncedh).The train was speeding along at a milea minute.

• per

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

• n.a.,NA,-na,N/A,N.A.,n/a,Na,na

• IPA^(key):/an/

an

1. (Western Cape)Alternative form ofaan

Similar toJapaneseある(aru).

• IPA^(key):/an/

an (Kana spellingアン)

1. (intransitive,copulative) toexist,be (somewhere);there is

   Aynuanruwe ne.

   There is an Ainu.

• ne(“to be”)

Possibly a metaphorical use ofanë(“vessel”).

an m (definiteani)

1. (anatomy)womb,caul

   Synonym:mitër

2. (anatomy)joint
3. (dialectal)room,vessel
4. (dialectal,Arbëresh)ship

• anë

• FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎^[12],1980
• “an”, inFGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian),2006

an

1. haunch

FromLatinannus. CompareRomanianan.

• IPA^(key):[an]

an n (pluralanjorenj)

1. year

• antsãrtsu /antserts

From a contraction of the prepositionen(“in”) + prepositiona(“to”).

an

1. (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

FromArabicآن(ʔān).

• IPA^(key):/ɑn/

• Audio(Baku):

  (file)

an (definite accusativeanı,pluralanlar)

1. moment

• hər anda
• anlıq

• IPA^(key):[án]

an

1. we

• ang

• IPA^(key):/ʔan/ [ʔan̪]

From Proto-Central Philippine*aŋ. Cognate withCebuanoang,Hiligaynonang,Tagalogang,Waray-Warayan.

Further etymology is debated; some have theorized a relationship toProto-Malayo-Polynesian*a(“direct marker”), fromProto-Austronesian*a(“direct marker”) with the addition of an unclear nasal suffix. CompareKapampanganing.

an (Basahan spellingᜀᜈ᜔)

1. direct marker for all general nouns other than personal proper nouns

   Nagdalaganan lalaki pasiring sa baybayon.

   The man ran towards the shore.

   Kinakan kan ikosan sira. (Naga)

   Kinaon kan ikosan sira. (Legazpi)

   The cat atethe fish.

• This particle is analyzed as the definite article (i.e.,the) when used alone, and the indefinite article (i.e.,a oran) 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".

'an (Basahan spellingᜀᜈ᜔)

1. Clipping ofiyan.

FromLatinannus.

an m (pluralans)

1. year

FromLatinin.

an

1. in

FromLatininde.

an

1. used to indicate an indefinite quantity,ofit,ofthem

   J'an veus deus

   I want twoof them

   J'an seus seur

   I am sureof it

• ar
• al

an

1. the

an

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

an

1. path,road

• a(Luserna)

FromMiddle High Germanein, fromOld High Germanein, fromProto-Germanic*ainaz. Cognate withGermanein,Dutcheen,Englishone,Icelandiceinn.

an

1. (Sette Comuni)a,an

   an gamègalndar mann ―a married man

2. (Luserna)obliquemasculine ofa

   I hånan pruadar un a sbestar. ―I havea brother and a sister.

• vònname
• vònnara

an

1. (Sette Comuni)that(introduces a subordinate clause)

   Khömmean dar sbaighe.

   Tell himthat he needs to shut up.

• “an” inMartalar, 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

FromProto-Celtic*sindos.

an

1. the(definite article)

Ultimately fromArabicآن(ʔān).

an

1. moment

• Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002)Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎^[13], Simferopol: Dolya,→ISBN

Inherited fromOld Czechan. Bysurface analysis,univerbation ofa +‎on.

• IPA^(key):[ˈan]

an

1. (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 womanwho 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?

an

1. (archaic)when,while

   An tak mluvili, ruce se jim chvěly. ―As they were speaking, their hands quivered.

2. (archaic)because

   Ulehčilo se mi,an jsem byla uspokojena, že sama trpím. ―I was relieved,for it satisfied me that I myself do suffer.

• “an”, inPříruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech),1935–1957
• “an”, inSlovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech),1960–1971, 1989

Borrowed fromMiddle Low Germanan andGermanan, fromProto-Germanic*ana(“on, at”), cognate withEnglishon and doublet ofDanishå,Danishpå.

• IPA^(key):[ˈan]

an

1. on(only used in lexicalized expressions)

See the etymology of the correspondinglemma form.

• IPA^(key):[ˈæˀn]

an

1. imperative ofane

an

1. Manuel de Codage transliteration ofꜥn.

FromOld Norsehann. Cognate withSwedishhan.

an m

1. he

FromLatinannus.

an m

1. year

FromProto-Malayo-Polynesian*kaən, fromProto-Austronesian*kaən.

an

1. toeat

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

Inherited fromLatinannus.

an m (pluralans)(ORB, broad)

1. year

• anâ

• an in DicoFranPro:Dictionnaire Français/Francoprovençal – ondicofranpro.llm.umontreal.ca
• an in Lo trèsor Arpitan – onarpitan.eu

FromOld French, fromLatinannus, fromProto-Italic*atnos, fromProto-Indo-European*h₂et-no-, probably from*h₂et-(“to go”).

• IPA^(key):/ɑ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones:en,ans

an m (pluralans)

1. year

• année

• “an”, inTrésor de la langue française informatisé[Digitized Treasury of the French Language],2012.

• n’a

FromLatinannus.

an m (pluralagns)

1. year

an (singular)

1. (possessive)Alternative form ofam(my).

• Used inPular.

an

1. second person singular emphatic pronounyou

• Used inPular.

• aan(Pulaar)

• 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”, inSenri Ethnological Studies‎^[14], volume35,→DOI, pages215-230

an (pluralaning)

1. man

• Robert L. Bradshaw,Fuyug grammar sketch (2007)

FromMiddle High Germanan(e), fromOld High Germanana, fromProto-West Germanic*ana, fromProto-Germanic*ana.

• IPA^(key):/an/,[ʔan]

  • Audio:

    (file)

  • Rhymes:-an
• A lengthened form/aːn/ is possible in non-prepositional uses, e.g. in the prefixan- or the adverbdaran. This was formerly widespread, but is now chiefly restricted to Austria and Switzerland (where it is optional). Compare similarly the distinction betweenin andein-.

an [withdative]

1. (local)on;upon;at;in;against

   Das Bild hängtan der Wand. ―The picture hangson the wall.

2. by;near;close to;next to
3. (temporal, with days or times of day)on;in;at

   Wir treffen uns am (an dem) Dienstag.

   We're meetingon Tuesday.

   Ich werde sie am (an dem) Abend sehen.

   I will see herin the evening.

4. (temporal)a;per;only used with the wordTag(“day”), otherwise usein

   zweimalam Tag ―twicea day

an[withaccusative]

1. on;onto

   Ich hänge das Bildan die Wand. ―I hang the pictureon the wall.

2. at;against

   Schauen Siean die Tafel. ―Lookat the blackboard.

3. to;for

   Ein Briefan Anna. ―A letterfor Anna.

an[withdativeoraccusative]

1. (any relation to an object or attribute regardless of time and space)of,on,in,for,about

   an einem Roman schreiben ―to writeon a novel

   Mangelan Lebensmitteln ―lackof food

   Alle Menschen sind frei und gleichan Würde und Rechten geboren ―All human beings are born free and equalin dignity and rights.

   Er ist schuldan dem Unglück ―He is responsiblefor the misfortune

   Das mag ich nichtan ihm ―I don't like thatabout him

• Usually used to refer to something being on a vertical surface, as opposed toauf, 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 toam(“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 toans(“on the”) if not emphasized.

an

1. onward;on

   von heutean ―from todayon

an (indeclinable,predicative only)

1. (predicative only)on

   Synonyms:angeschaltet,ein,eingeschaltet

   Antonyms:aus,ausgeschaltet

   Ist der Schalteran oder aus? [= Ist der Schalter an- oder ausgeschaltet?]

   Is the switchon or off. [Is the switch switched on or off.]

   Dein Mikro ist nichtan. ―Your microphone is noton.

Indeclinable, predicative-only.

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

• na

an

1. water

• Patricia Lillie,Girawa Dictionary

an

1. Romanization of𐌰𐌽

• IPA^(key):/ã/

FromFrenchun.

an

1. the (definite article)

Use this word when:

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

FromFrenchan(“year”).

an

1. year

• lane

CompareBasquehandi(“big, large”), certinaly connected toProto-Basque*(h)andi.

an

1. big,large

   an beḿs i bems ku tun

   Alarge proliferation leads to total slavery

2. great

   adin belauŕan talskar

   An excellent daughter and agreat mother

• Villamor, Fernando (2020) A basic dictionary and grammar of the Iberian language

Borrowed from Englishon, Germanan. Decision no.759, Progreso V.

• IPA^(key):/an/

an

1. at,on(indicates contiguity, juxtaposition)

   Me pendis pikturian la parieto. ―I hung paintingson the wall.

• dorso an dorso(“back to back”)
• an-

• Progreso IV (in Ido),1911–1912, page409,523,591,622
• Progreso V (in Ido),1912–1913, page659

FromOld Irishin, fromProto-Celtic*sindos.

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

an

1. the

   an t-uisce ―the water

   an bhean ―the woman

   an pháiste ―of the child

   agan gcailín/chailín ―at the girl

FromOld Irishin.

• (preverbal particle):IPA^(key):(before a consonant)/ə/,(beforea/á, o/ó, u/ú)/ə.nˠ-/,(beforee/é,i/í)/ə.n̠ʲ-/
• (copular particle):IPA^(key):/ənˠ/,(beforeé,ea,í,iad)/ə.n̠ʲ-/

an(triggerseclipsis; takes the dependent form of irregular verbs if available; not used in the past tense except of some irregular verbs)

1. Used to form direct and indirect questions

   An bhfuil tú ag éisteacht? ―Are you listening?

   Níl a fhios agaman bhfuil sé anseo. ―I don’t know if/whether he is here.

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

an

1. 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 agaman é Conchúr a chonaic mé. ―I don’t know if it’s Connor whom I saw.

an (present analyticanann,future analyticanfaidh,verbal nounanacht,past participleanta)

1. (ambitransitive)Alternative form offan(“stay, wait, remain”)

an

1. Alternative form ofa(used before numbers when counting)

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “an”, inFoclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm,→ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “in”, ineDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “an”, inEnglish-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “an”, inNew English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge,2013-2025

Derived fromEnglishhand.

an (pluralan dem,quantifiedan)

1. (anatomy)hand
   • 2012,Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published2012,→ISBN,Maak 3:5:

     So im se tu di man se, “Chrech out yuan.” Di man chrech out iman, an iman get beta.

     Then he told the man, “Hold out yourhand.” The man held out hishand, and hishand was healed.

Derived fromEnglishand.

an

1. and
   • 2012,Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, Edinburgh: DJB, published2012,→ISBN,Aks 15:35:

     Bot Paalan Baanabas tan a Antiyakan tiichan priich Gad wod.An nof muor tiichaan priicha did iina di choch.

     But Pauland Barnabas stayed in Antioch,and taughtand proclaimed the word of God along with many others.

• an at majstro.com

an

1. Rōmaji transcription ofあん

• The nasal vowelIPA^(key):/ã/

an (upper caseAn)

1. Aletter of the Juǀ'hoanalphabet, written in theLatin script.

FromLatinannus.

an m (pluralani)

1. year

FromProto-Italic*an, fromProto-Indo-European*h₂en. Cognate withLithuanianangu(“or”),Gothic𐌰𐌽(an,“so? now?”). May also be related toAncient Greekἄν(án,particle),Sanskritअना(anā́),Avestan𐬀𐬥𐬁(anā),Lithuaniananàs,Albaniana,Proto-Slavic*onъ.^[1]

• (Classical Latin)IPA^(key):/ˈan/,[ˈän]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical)IPA^(key):/ˈan/,[ˈän]

an

1. or, orwhether (A conjunction that introduces the second part of a disjunctive interrogation, or a phrase implying doubt.)
   1. in disjunctive interrogations
      1. direct
         1. (introduced byutrum(“whether”))
         2. (introduced by-ne(interrogative enclitic))
         3. (introduced bynonne(“[is it] not”))
         4. (introduced bynum(interrogative particle))
         5. (without an introductory particle)
      2. indirect
         1. (introduced byutrum(“whether”))
         2. (introduced by-ne, interrogative enclitic)
         3. (introduced byan)
         4. (without an introductory particle)
      3. orrather, or on thecontrary (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, asan potius
      4. or, or rather, orindeed, orperhaps (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 phrasean nōn) ornot
         1. in direct questions
         2. in indirect questions
      6. (in the phrasean ne)pleonastic usage foran
         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 theAugustean period)standing forsīve
      4. where the first disjunctive clause is to be supplied from the general idea or wherean stands forutrum ornecne
      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 withan, the expressionshaud sciō an,nesciō an, anddubitō 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 withan designates directly the opposite, the more improbable, the negative; in which casenesciō an,haud sciō an, etc., like the EnglishI know not whether, signify “I think that not”, “I believe that not”, etc.

• Used withutrum(“whether”) in the constructionutrum...an(“whether...or”):

  Nescio quid intersit, utrum nunc veniam,an ad decem annos.

  I know not what matter it is, whether I come nowor after ten years.

• ăn inCharlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879)A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• an inGaffiot, Félix (1934)Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894)Latin Phrase-Book‎^[15], 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)
    

an

1. fresh water

• Malcolm Ross, Andrew Pawley, Meredith Osmond,The Lexicon of Proto-Oceanic→ISBN, 2007)
• Blust'sAustronesian Comparative Dictionary (asʔan)

FromMiddle Low Germanan, fromOld Saxonan,ana, fromProto-Germanic*an,*ana.

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

an

1. on
2. to,at

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

an

1. on

• an't

• IPA^(key):/an/,[ɑn]
• Rhymes:-ɑn

FromOld High Germanindi.

an

1. and

FromProto-Germanic*in.

an

1. in

an

1. Nonstandard spelling ofān.
2. Nonstandard spelling ofán.
3. Nonstandard spelling ofǎn.
4. Nonstandard spelling ofàn.

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

• IPA^(key):/an/

an

1. Alternative form ofāne

• a,ane,o,on(see usage notes)

• IPA^(key):/a(n)/(see usage notes)

An unstressed form ofon(“one”), from the occasional use ofOld Englishān(“one”) as an article.

an

1. a,an(indefinitearticle):
   • p.1154, “AD 1137”, inAnglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS. Laud Misc. 636, continuation),Peterborough, folio 89, verso; republished atOxford:Digital Bodleian, 2018 February 8:

     Þu myhteſ faren ala dæiſ fare ſculdeſt thu neure finden man in tun ſittende · ne land tiled.

     You could goa 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”, inThe Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion:National Library of Wales, published [c. 1400–1410],→OCLC,folio 63, verso, lines438-440:

     And but ye do / c[er]teyn we shal yow teche / that it is fair / to hana wyf in pees / Oon of vs two / moſte bowen doutelees

     And unless you do, we'll certainly teach you / that it's fair to havea wife in peace; / one of the two of us must without doubt submit.

   1. Anyexample orinstance of athing.
   2. Acertain orparticular thing.
   3. Any,every;several or allinstances of a thing.
2. Used in conjunction withnumerals(especiallyhundred,thousend)

• In later non-Northern Middle English,a is usually found before consonants other than/h/, whilean 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.

• English:an,a
• Scots:a
• Yola:a,e

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

an

1. Alternative form ofin

an

1. Alternative form ofand

an

1. Alternative form ofon(“one”)

an

1. Alternative form ofhaven

FromOld Frenchan, fromLatinannus.

an m (pluralans)

1. year

• French:an

• IPA^(key):/ən/

an

1. Alternative form ofyn

FromLatinin.

an

1. in
2. on

an

1. obliquemasculine ofa

• van

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

FromOld Frenchan, fromLatinannus.

• Audio(Jersey):

  (file)

an m (pluralans)

1. (Guernsey,Jersey)year

• année