† and-prefix

Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian and- , ond- , ont- (West Frisian ont- , (in a small number of compounds) ant- ), Old Dutch ant- (Middle Dutch, Dutch ont- ), Old Saxon and- , ant- , (unstressed) int- (Middle Low German ant- (stressed), ent- (unstressed)), Old High German ant- (stressed), int- , in- (unstressed) (Middle High German ant- (stressed), ent- , en- , also (before second elements beginning with f , ph ) emp- (all unstressed), German ant- (stressed), ent- , also (before second elements beginning with f ) emp- (both unstressed)), Old Icelandic and- , ǫnd- , an- , ann- , Old Swedish and- , an- , än- (Swedish an- , †and- ), Old Danish and- , an- , Gothic and- , also (in nouns and occasionally in adjectives) anda- < the same Indo-European base as end n., and probably also and conj.¹ (see discussion at that entry). Compare un- prefix² (ultimately of the same origin) and the West Germanic forms cited at that entry.In many Germanic languages, the form of this prefix varies according to whether it is stressed or unstressed. This distinction is also found in Old English (see A. Campbell Old Eng. Gram. (1959) §73) and early Middle English, where the historical full form and- remained when the prefix was stressed (i.e. in nouns and adjectives, as well as in verbs derived from nouns with this prefix; compare e.g. Old English ˈandfenga receiver, ˈandgiet understanding, intellect, ˈandsǣte hateful, repugnant, ˈandswaru answer n., ˈandswarian answer v., ˈandweard present), and was sometimes rounded to ond- ; compare the α. forms. By contrast, the β. forms, characterized by loss of the final consonant, originally occurred when the prefix was unstressed (i.e. in verbs); compare e.g. Old English onˈfōn to receive (see onfang v.), onˈgietan to understand, to discern, to perceive (see anyete v.). This distinction between stressed and unstressed forms had been lost by the 13th cent., as the prefix was reduced to on- , an- irrespective of stress, which caused it to merge formally with on- prefix (compare e.g. anyete v., onfang v., onward adj.¹); in later use it was frequently reduced even further to a- (e.g. in along adj.², prep., and adv.: compare a- prefix¹). The only remnant of the historically stressed form in modern English is an- in answer n. and answer v. Formations with this prefix were relatively numerous in Old English, but only a small number of them survived into the Middle English period (and still fewer post-1500), e.g. anyete v., anyit n., andsete adj., anleth n., answer n., answer v., onbide v., ontend v., onward adj.¹ Among the other Germanic languages, the greatest number of formations is found in Dutch and German, in which the element has remained productive.