Etymograph

English

once

Once comes from Middle English ones ‘once’, from Old English ānes, a remodelling (after ān ‘one’) of ǣnes ‘once’.

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150ǣnes1‘once’
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150ānes1‘once’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ones1‘once’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1612–1634once1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English once
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1612–1634, Joseph Hall, (please specify the page): “The wisdom of God thought fit to acquaint David…”.

Lineage

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150ǣnesWiktionary, English once‘once’
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150ānesWiktionary, English once‘once’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500onesWiktionary, English once‘once’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1612–1634onceWiktionary, English once. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1612–1634, Joseph Hall, (please specify the page): “The wisdom of God thought fit to acquaint David…”

Every English word from Old English ǣnes

Today it means

adv One and only one time.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “once”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Old English ǣnes / once

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