Obs. [cogn. w. Goth. and OHG. ana (MHG. ane, mod.G. an), OS., OFris. an, ON. á; Gr. ἀνά.] The orig. form of the prep. which, in prehistoric Eng., in accordance with the regular phonetic history of short a before nasals, was rounded to ON, a form, unlike the parallel ond, hond, lomb, monn, ever after retained. In Anglo-Saxon, but not in Anglian, on also absorbed the prep. in. As to its history in combination, see AN- pref. 1 below. After 11th c. when on- in comb. was generally reduced to ă- bef. cons., ăn- bef. vowel, the same befell on prep. to some extent, esp. in familiar phrases, as an edge, an end, an erthe, an even (at eve), an high, an hand, an horseback: see A prep.1 But in course of time all these were altered back to on, or changed to in; an being retained only in those in which its prepositional character was no longer apparent, as to go an (now a) hawking, twice an hour. The following quotations illustrate the forms; for the various uses, see A prep.1 See also AN-AUNTER, AN-END, AN-ERTH.
984. O. E. Chron. An þara tweʓra apostola dæʓe.
c. 1175. Cotton Hom., 219. Me scel sigge an oðre stowe. Ibid. He … cweð an his hérto.
c. 1250. Moral Ode, 270, in E. E. P. (1862), 30. An helle for-don.
1297. R. Glouc., 537. Vpe the tour an hei.
c. 1300. Beket, 2093. Seint Thomas nom a croice anhonde. Ibid., 1236. Lettres … that thus an Englisch were.
c. 1320. Cast. Loue, 1177. Þe felynge he schal leosen an ende.
1340. Ayenb., 168. Þis berþ away þane ssepe aneuen.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XX. 143. And armyd hym an [v.r. in] haste.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 863. And said til hym an haste. Ibid., 3552. To þe ryuer an haukyng fare.
c. 1440. Lonelich, Graal, II. 221. And an horsbak setten hym.
1557. N. T. (Genev.), John iii. 31. He that commeth from an hye, is aboue all.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 270. They make the teeth an edge.
1602. Shaks., Haml., I. v. 19. Each particular haire to stand an end, Like Quilles vpon the fretfull Porpentine. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T., IV. iii. 7. Set my pugging tooth an edge.
1741. Richardson, Pamela, 64. Your hair will stand an end.
