among

UK: əˈmʌŋ | US: əˈmʌŋ

Definition

  1. prep. surrounded by or in the company of others

  2. prep. included in a group or category

  3. prep. shared by or involving multiple parties

Structure
a <on, in>mong <crowd, mixture>
Etymology

The word "among" originates from Old English on gemang, where on means "in" and gemang derives from Proto-Germanic gamaną ("crowd" or "mingling"). Over time, on gemang contracted into "among," preserving the sense of being within a collective or shared space. The morpheme mong reflects the idea of mixture or group cohesion, while the prefix a- (from on) reinforces spatial inclusion.

Examples

  1. She found peace among the trees.

  2. The prize was divided among the winners.

  3. Among his many talents, painting stood out.

  4. They walked among the crowd unnoticed.

  5. The issue caused disagreement among the team members.