Etymology Dictionary

ABOUT, around, concerning. (E.)   M.E. abuten, Ormulum, 4084; later, abouten, aboute.—A.S. ábútan; as in 'ábútan þone munt' = around the mountain, Exod. xix. 12.  α. Here the prefix á- is short for an-, the older form (as well as a later form) of on; and we accordingly find also the form onbútan, Genesis, ii. II.  [A commoner A. S. form was ymbútan, but here the prefix is different, viz. ymb, about, corresponding to Ger. um.]  β. The word bútan is itself a compound of be, by, and útan, outward.  Thus the word is resolved into on-be-útan, on (that which is) by (the) outside.  γ. Again útan, outward, outside, is an adverb formed from the prep. út, out.  See On, By, and Out.  The words abaft and above have been similarly resolved into on-by-aft and on-by-ove(r).  See Abaft, Above.   ¶ Similar forms are found in Old Friesic, where abefta is deducible from an-bi-efta; abuppa (above), from an-bi-uppa; and abuta (about), from an-bi-uta.