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o·gon·ek

(ə-gônĕk, -gŏn-)

A mark resembling a hook (˛) placed beneath a letter, usually to indicate nasalization, as in Polish, or sometimes vowel length, as in Lithuanian.

[Polish, from diminutive of ogon, tail, from Proto-Slavic *ogonŭ (probably originally "that which drives away (flies and the like)") : *o-, ob-, around, on + *goniti, to push, chase, drive.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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