Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian ē- , Old High German ā- (Middle High German ā- ), representing an ablaut variant (lengthened e -grade) of the same Germanic base as (with lengthened o -grade) Old English ō- , Old High German uo- < the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit ā- , Avestan ā- , Old Persian ā- at, to, towards (the Indo-Iranian forms probably show a merger of the two ablaut variants, as ā- in these languages is the reflex of both Indo-European ē and ō ). For possible cognates in other branches of Indo-European see A. L. Lloyd & O. Springer Etymol. Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen (1988) I. 3–4. An alternative derivation as a variant of a- prefix¹, showing a stressed form of the prefix used in nominal and adjectival compounds (compare A. Campbell Old Eng. Gram. (1959) §73), is no longer generally accepted. Frequent in Old English, forming nouns and adjectives. The primary sense was ‘off, from, out, away’, e.g. ǣcumbe oakum n., ǣcyrf fragment, splinter, ǣfyrmþa (plural) waste, sweepings, offscourings, ǣrist rising, resurrection (see arist n.), ǣsmogu (plural) slough (of a snake), ǣwielm spring, source; thence in various derived senses, as (pejorative) ‘wrong, perverse’, e.g. ǣcnōsle degenerate, of low birth, ǣmynd envy, jealousy, malice; (iterative) ‘back, again’, e.g. ǣgift restitution, repayment; and frequently (intensive) ‘out and out, extreme’, e.g. ǣbǣre manifest, unconcealed (see eber adj.), ǣblǣce pallid, wan, ǣcelma chilblain, ǣgylt transgression, offence, ǣlenge lengthy, tedious (see elenge adj.), ǣswic deceit, deception; and (privative) ‘without, wanting, -less’, e.g. ǣfelle without skin, ǣgafol free from tribute, ǣgylde without compensation, unpaid for (see agild adj.), ǣhīwe without colour, misshapen, ǣmen uninhabited, desolate, ǣmōd disheartened, dismayed, (also) insane, ǣmūþa the blind gut, caecum, ǣscēare unshorn, ǣwēne without hope. The prefix had probably ceased to be productive by the beginning of the Middle English period, and the few new formations that are attested in early Middle English (e.g. egede adj., erede devoid of counsel, perplexed) very likely represent reflexes of unattested Old English compounds. In modern English the prefix survives only (in regional use) in elenge adj., where it is no longer recognized as a significant element. It is noteworthy that many Old English nominal and adjectival formations in ǣ- correspond to verbal formations in a- a- prefix¹, e.g. ǣbylgþ anger, indignation, and abelgan to anger, offend (see abelghe v.), ǣcyrf fragment, splinter, and aceorfan to cut off, ǣgift restitution, repayment, and agiefan to give back, return (see agive v.), ǣrist rising, resurrection (see arist n.), and arīsan arise v., ǣwyrp something that is cast out, and aweorpan to cast out (see awarp v.), etc. It seems clear that ǣ- (in nouns and adjectives) had come to be perceived as the stressed prefix corresponding to the (semantically similar but etymologically unrelated) unstressed prefix a- (in verbs), an association probably aided by the existing phonological link between the two sounds ā and  , e.g. as a result of i-mutation. The perceived connection between the two prefixes also leads to occasional prefix substitution, usually of ǣ- (in nouns and adjectives) with a- , which is lengthened to ā- in stressed position (compare oakum n.), but sometimes also of a- (in verbs) with ǣ- (compare β. forms at abaeile v.). The related Old English nominal and adjectival prefix ō- (see above) is much less commonly attested, and does not appear to have been very productive. Its primary sense was probably ‘to, towards’, although this has to some extent become obscured in the few attested formations; compare e.g. ōgengel bolt, bar, ōhielde sloping, inclined, ōwæstm shoot, branch, twig, ōweb woof (see abb n.), ōwef woof n.¹, and also the denominal verb ōleccan to flatter (see oluhne v.). For a detailed discussion of both Old English prefixes and their relation to a- prefix¹ see K. Dietz ‘Die altenglischen Nominalpräfixe ǣ- und ō-, das Verbalpräfix a- und ihre althochdeutschen Entsprechungen’ in Sprachwissensch. 30 (2005) 1–47.

Etymology: < classical Latin ē-, shortened form of ex- out of (see ex- prefix¹).The Latin prefix can be seen in e.g. ēvidēns evident adj. and ēducāre to bring up (see educate v.). Formations in English are found from the 16th cent. The earliest examples are verbs (e.g. escribe v., emeade v.); other parts of speech occasionally appear from the mid 17th cent. (e.g. emucid adj.), but become more common in the 19th cent., especially in biological terminology (in e.g. ecostate adj., emandibulate adj.). Typically prefixed to words or elements ultimately of Latin or Greek origin.

Etymology: < e- (in electric adj.).Found in formations from the late 1960s, earliest in e-car .

Etymology: < e- (in electronic adj.), after email n.²The position of the stress in compounds formed on e- may vary contextually, or in accordance with the general stress patterns of English. Primary stress, however, most commonly occurs on the first syllable, since the function of the combining form itself is predominantly contrastive. Found in numerous formations from the late 1980s, earliest in e-book n., E-fit n. Early formations are often antedated by corresponding formations in electronic adj.; beside e-book n. compare earlier electronic book n. 2, with e-cash n. compare earlier electronic cash n. at electronic adj. Compounds, etc.