among

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂en-der.

Proto-Germanic *an

Proto-West Germanic *ana

Old English on

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe?

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Germanic *ga-

Proto-West Germanic *ga-

Old English ġe-

Old English mang

Old English ġemang

Old English onġemang

Old English amang

Middle English among

English among

The preposition is derived from Middle English among, amang, amange, amonge (“in the presence of, amid, among; in, within; between; during”), from Old English amang, onġemang (preposition), from on (“on, among, in”) (probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- (“on, onto”)) + ġemang (“crowd; mixture”, noun) (from ġe- (prefix forming nouns denoting association or similarity) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“beside, by; near; with”)) + mang- (from mængan, mengan (“to mingle, mix”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *menk- (“to knead; to press”))). By surface analysis, a- (prefix meaning ‘at; in; on’) + mong (“crowd, throng; group”).

The adverb is derived from Middle English among, amang (“accompanied by, along with, by the side of, in association with, together; all the while, continually; also, besides; at the same time; from time to time, occasionally; meanwhile; within”), from Old English onġemang (adverb): see further above. cognates

* Dutch mank, maank (“among”)

* German mang (“among”) (dialectal)

* German Low German mank, manken (“among”)

* Saterland Frisian monk, monken (“among”)

* West Frisian mank (“among”)