Etymology of enough by etymonline (2024)

c. 1300, from Old English genog "sufficient in quantity or number," from Proto-Germanic compound *ganog "sufficient" (source also of Old Saxon ginog, Old Frisian enoch, Dutch genoeg, Old High German ginuog, German genug, Old Norse gnogr, Gothic ganohs).

First element is Old English ge- "with, together" (also a participial, collective, intensive, or perfective prefix), making this word the most prominent surviving example of the Old English prefix, the equivalent of Latin com- and Modern German ge- (from PIE *kom- "beside, near, by, with;" see com-). The second element is from PIE *nok-, from root *nek- (2) "to reach, attain" (source also of Sanskrit asnoti "to reach," Hittite ninikzi "lifts, raises," Lithuanian nešti "to bear, carry," Latin nancisci "to obtain").

As an adverb, "sufficiently for the purpose," in Old English; meaning "moderately, fairly, tolerably" (good enough) was in Middle English. Understated sense, as in have had enough "have had too much" was in Old English (which relied heavily on double negatives and understatement). As a noun in Old English, "a quantity or number sufficient for the purpose." As an interjection, "that is enough," from c. 1600. Colloquial 'nough said, implying the end of discussion, is attested from 1839, American English, representing a casual or colloquial pronunciation.

also from

c. 1300

Etymology of enough by etymonline (2024)

FAQs

Etymology of enough by etymonline? ›

enough (adj.) c. 1300, from Old English genog "sufficient in quantity or number," from Proto-Germanic

Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic. PGmc, Common Germanic. Reconstruction of. Germanic languages.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Proto-Germanic_language
compound *ganog "sufficient" (source also of Old Saxon ginog, Old Frisian enoch, Dutch genoeg, Old High German ginuog, German genug, Old Norse gnogr, Gothic ganohs).

What is the full meaning of "enough"? ›

1. : in or to a degree or quantity that satisfies or that is sufficient or necessary for satisfaction : sufficiently. 2.

How do you find the etymology of a word? ›

For the immediate ancestry of an English word, however, your first stop should be the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The recorded ancestors of an English word can usually be found within the entry for that word in the OED online [Harvard Key required] or in the print version of the OED (2nd ed., 1989).

What is the origin of the word "answer"? ›

From Middle English answere, andsware, from Old English andswaru (“answer”), from and- (“against”) +‎ -swaru (“affirmation”), (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- (“front, forehead”) and Old English swerian (“to swear”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer-), suggesting an original meaning of "a sworn statement rebutting a ...

What is the etymology behind the word? ›

Etymology is the study of the origins of words. The English language is living and growing. Although many of our words have been part of our language for many years, new words are added all the time.

Who coined the phrase enough is enough? ›

Idioms and Phrases

For example, No more speeches—enough is enough , or as Robert Southey put it ( The Doctor , 1834): “As for money, enough is enough; no man can enjoy more.” This expression already appeared in John Heywood's proverb collection of 1546 and is often used as an interjection (first example).

What is the meaning of enough in Oxford dictionary? ›

/ɪˈnʌf/ ​used before plural or uncountable nouns to mean 'as many or as much as somebody needs or wants' synonym sufficient. Have you made enough copies? Is there enough room for me?

Is etymonline reliable? ›

Reviews and reputation

The Online Etymology Dictionary has been referenced by Oxford University's "Arts and Humanities Community Resource" catalog as "an excellent tool for those seeking the origins of words" and cited in the Chicago Tribune as one of the "best resources for finding just the right word".

What is the root word for God? ›

The English word god comes from the Old English god, which itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic *gudą. Its cognates in other Germanic languages include guþ, gudis (both Gothic), guð (Old Norse), god (Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Old Dutch), and got (Old High German).

What is the best etymology dictionary? ›

Etymologies frequently show the root word in Latin, Greek, Old English, French, etc. The most famous etymological dictionary is the Oxford English Dictionary (known as the OED).

What is the answer in one word? ›

Some common synonyms of answer are rejoinder, reply, response, and retort. While all these words mean "something spoken, written, or done in return," answer implies the satisfying of a question, demand, call, or need.

When someone doesn't give you a straight answer? ›

First, when you are faced with a random non-answerer, look for cues about where your question might have missed the mark. Maybe it was too personal. Maybe “What's new” was pretty terrible, and your question wasn't that innocent after all. You might also be asking the question at the wrong time.

Who came up with the word word? ›

Originally Answered: Who derived the word 'word', and what is the meaning of word? The Old English word word originally meant "speech, talk, utterance, sentence, statement, news, report, word.” It came from Proto-Germanic *wurda- which in turn goes back to a Proto-Indo-European verb *were- meaning “to speak.”

What is the meaning of WWWW? ›

Definition of 'World Wide Web'

What's an old word for the sun? ›

The Old English sunne likely derives from the old Germanic sunne; both attached a feminine gender to the “heavenly body.” There exist several variants of the word in other languages, such as zon or zonne (Dutch), sunna (Old High German, Gothic, and Old Norse), and sonne and son (Middle German).

Where does the word "devil" originate? ›

The word “devil” derives from Greek diabolos, meaning “adversary.” In Jewish, Christian, Zoroastrian, and Muslim traditions, the term applies to a single spirit of evil whose function is to oppose the will of the good God.

What's another word for "enough"? ›

abundant, adequate, ample, full, sufficient, suitable.

What is the purpose of enough? ›

Grammar explanation. enough means 'as much as necessary'. It can be used with an adjective, an adverb, a verb or a noun. It can also act as a pronoun.

What is mean true enough? ›

correct or accurate but not completely explaining something: It's true enough that he had doubts about the project, but we have to look further to understand why he resigned.

What is the rule of enough? ›

Rules for Enough

Place enough directly after the adverb modified when using enough as an adverb to mean to the required degree or extent. Peter drove slowly enough for us to look at all the houses. The students studied carefully enough to do well on the exam.

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