again
/əˈɡɛn/
adverb
Origin
Old English
on + gegn — on + towards/against
Overview
Meaning Now
- Once more; another time.
- On another occasion; further.
- Returning to a previous position, state, or condition.
Literal older meaning
on the opposite/against
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
ongean
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word originally functioned primarily as a preposition meaning 'against' or 'towards,' reflecting the physical sense of meeting something face-to-face. Over time, the iterative sense of 'another time' emerged as the primary usage.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*gagina
“against, towards”
- Old English
ongean
“opposite, against, towards”
- Middle English
agayn
“in return, once more”
- Early Modern English
againe
“once more”
Connections
Word parts
a-
prefix
on
-gain
root
against/towards
Related across languages
Old Saxon
gegin
towards, against
Old High German
gagan
against
Explore next
Related to again
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.