Definition of the word into

The word "into" has a fascinating history. It is an adverb that has its roots in Old English. In Old English, the word "into" was spelled as "þanon" (pronounced "thah-non"), which was derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*thane", meaning "to go" or "to move". This Proto-Germanic word is also the source of modern English words such as "then" and "than". As English evolved, the word "þanon" gradually transformed into "into". In Middle English (circa 1100-1500), "into" was used to indicate movement from one place to another, such as "I went into the room" or "He ran into the woods". Today, "into" is a common adverb used in various contexts, including physical movement, figurative movement, and idiomatic expressions. Despite its evolution over time, the word "into" still retains its original sense of direction and motion.