# ago

> English word · Postp · IPA /əˈɡəʊ/ · frequency rank #365

## Definitions
1. Before now, before the present time

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *ud-s-?
Proto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-?
Proto-Germanic *uz-
Proto-West Germanic *uʀ-
Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₁-der.
Proto-Germanic *gāną
Proto-West Germanic *gān
Proto-West Germanic *uʀgān
Old English āgān
Middle English agon
English ago
From Middle English ago, agon (“passed”), past participle of agon (“to depart, escape, pass”), from Old English āgān (“to go away, pass away, go forth, come to pass”), from Proto-Germanic *uz- (“out”), *gāną (“to go”), equivalent to a- + gone, and by surface analysis, a- + go. Cognate with German ergehen (“to come to pass, fare, go forth”). Compare also Old Saxon āgangan (“to go or pass by”), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌽 (usgaggan, “to go forth”).

## Easily confused with
- **as** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-as)
- **at** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-at)
- **an** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-an)
- **AM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-am)
- **AL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-al)
- **ah** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-ah)
- **AP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-ap)
- **ai** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-ai)
- **aw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-aw)
- **AR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-ar)
- **AU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-au)
- **AK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-ak)
- **AZ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-az)
- **av** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-av)
- **ay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-ay)
- **ao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-ao)
- **ax** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-ax)
- **and** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-and)
- **are** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-are)
- **all** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-all)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ago