again

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
2. Proto-Germanic*in
3. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰengʰ-
4. Proto-Germanic*ganganąder.?
5. Proto-Germanic*gagin
6. Proto-Germanic*in gagin
7. Proto-West Germanic*in gagin
8. Old Englishonġēan
9. Middle Englishagayn
10. English todayagain

From Middle English agayn, from Old English onġēan (“against, again”), from Proto-West Germanic *in gagin, from Proto-Germanic *in gagin. Cognate with German entgegen (“contrary to”), North Frisian ijen (“against”), Danish igen (“again”), Swedish igen (“again”), and Norwegian Bokmål igjen (“again”), and Icelandic í gegnum (“through”). By surface analysis, on- + gain (“against”).

First known use, by meaning

• from 14ᵗʰc. Another time: indicating a repeat of an action.
• from 11ᵗʰc. Back (to a former place or state).
• from 16ᵗʰc. Over and above a factor of one.
• from 16ᵗʰc. Used metalinguistically, with the repetition being in the discussion, or in the linguistic or pragmatic context of the discussion, rather than in the subject of discussion.
• from 16ᵗʰc. Tell me again, say again; used in asking a question to which one may have already received an answer that one cannot remember.
• from 16ᵗʰc. I ask again, I say again; used in repeating a question or statement.
• from 16ᵗʰc. Here too, here also, in this case as well; used in applying a previously made point to a new instance; sometimes preceded by "here".
• 10ᵗʰ–18ᵗʰc. Back in the reverse direction, or to an original starting point.