un (Welsh)
Where does "un" come from?
The Welsh word 'un' meaning 'one' traces its roots back to the Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos. It evolved through Proto-Celtic and Proto-Brythonic stages before becoming the Middle Welsh 'un', maintaining the same fundamental sense of unity throughout millennia.
Full etymology tree
- un (Welsh), 'one'
- 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)
- 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)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris