English
owner
Owner comes from Old English āgnere ‘owner’, from āgnian ‘to own’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *aiginōną ‘to take possession of’.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*aiginōną‘to take possession of, own’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*aiganōnreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150āgnian‘to own, take possession’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150āgnere‘owner’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ouner
- Englishearliest quotation 2000owner
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*aiginōną‘to take possession of, own’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*aiganōnreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150āgnian‘to own, take possession’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150āgnere‘owner’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ouner
- Englishearliest quotation 2000owner
Earliest quotation: 2000, JG Ballard, Super-Cannes: “The marina was filled with yachts and powerboats, sleek…”
Equivalent to own + -er
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyḱ- ‘to have, possess’
…
Proto-Germanic *aiganaz ‘own; owned’
Proto-West Germanic *aigan ‘own’
Old English āgen ‘own, proper’
Middle English oun
English own
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyḱ- ‘ability, possession’
through Proto-Germanic *aiganą ‘to own, possess’
through Proto-Germanic *aiganaz ‘own’
Today it means
noun One who owns something.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *aiginōną / owner