WikiWord

English

against

/əˈɡɛ̟nst/ · prep

Meaning

  1. In a contrary direction to.
  2. In physical opposition to; in collision with.
  3. In physical contact with, so as to abut or be supported by.
  4. Close to, alongside.
  5. In front of; before (a background).
  6. In contrast or comparison with.
  7. In competition with, versus.
  8. Contrary to; in conflict with.
  9. In opposition to.
  10. Of betting odds, denoting a worse-than-even chance.
  11. In exchange for.
  12. As counterbalance to.
  13. By the time that (something happened); before.

Etymology / origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Germanic *in Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *ganganąder.? Proto-Germanic *gagin Proto-Germanic *in gagin Proto-West Germanic *in gagin Old English onġēander. Middle English ayenes English against Formed from Middle English ayenes, agenes, againes (“in opposition to”), a southern variant of agen, or directly from again, either way with adverbial genitive singular ending -es; the parasitic -t was added circa 1350, probably by confusion with the superlative ending -est. By surface analysis, again + -st (excrescent ending). Cognate with Saterland Frisian juun (“against”), West Frisian tsjin (“against”), Dutch tegen (“against”), German Low German gegen (“against”), German gegen (“against”), Icelandic gegn (“against”).

  1. gegn(Icelandic)→
  2. gegen(German)→
  3. gegen(nds-de)→
  4. tegen(Dutch)→
  5. tsjin(West Frisian)→
  6. juun(stq)→
  7. ayenes(Middle English)→
  8. against (English)
  9. Relations: inh, cog, cog, cog, cog, cog, cog

Related words

ayenes(Middle English)juun(stq)tsjin(West Frisian)tegen(Dutch)gegen(nds-de)gegen(German)gegn(Icelandic)アゲンスト(Japanese)

Descendant words

Sources

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