un (Welsh)
Where does "un" come from?
The Welsh word 'un' traces its origins back to the Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos, a concept meaning 'one' that has left a mark on countless languages. It evolved through Proto-Celtic and Proto-Brythonic stages before finally settling into Middle Welsh. Today, it retains its original primary sense of 'one' or 'individual' while extending to mean 'each' in various contexts.
Full etymology tree
- un (Welsh), 'one, individual'
- inherited un (Middle Welsh), 'one'
- inherited *ʉn (Proto-Brythonic), 'one'
- inherited *oinos (Proto-Celtic), 'one'
- inherited *h₁óynos (Proto-Indo-European), 'one'
- derived *éy (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *ih₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- influence ἴα (ía) (Ancient Greek), 'feminine nominative/vocative singular of εἷς (heîs)'
- inherited *h₁óynos (Proto-Indo-European), 'one'
- inherited *oinos (Proto-Celtic), 'one'
- inherited *ʉn (Proto-Brythonic), 'one'
- inherited un (Middle Welsh), 'one'
Ancestors
- un (Middle Welsh)
- *ʉn (Proto-Brythonic)
- *oinos (Proto-Celtic)
- *h₁óynos (Proto-Indo-European)
Descendants and derived words
- undeb (Welsh)
- undod (Welsh)
- union (Welsh)
- unol (Welsh)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris